


Revolutionary Girl Katarina

by thimblefullofdespair



Category: Shoujo Kakumei Utena | Revolutionary Girl Utena, 乙女ゲームの破滅フラグしかない悪役令嬢に転生してしまった… - 山口悟 | My Next Life as a Villainess - Yamaguchi Satoru (Light Novels), 乙女ゲームの破滅フラグしかない悪役令嬢に転生してしまった… | My Next Life as a Villainess (Anime)
Genre: Crossover, F/F, F/M, Oblivious Katarina Claes, Reverse Harem, Swordfighting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-03
Updated: 2020-07-28
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:07:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 22
Words: 62,252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24526612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thimblefullofdespair/pseuds/thimblefullofdespair
Summary: Katarina Claes finds herself in a new, familiar world, with her friends cast as the characters of a familiar story - but just how well does she remember this particular tale, and what new doom flags lie in store at Ohtori Academy?
Relationships: Maria Campbell/Katarina Claes
Comments: 101
Kudos: 219





	1. I Recalled An Anime From My Past Life...

"Katarina Claes! Do you intend to continue wearing that weird get-up this term as well?"

The school's guidance counselor had hunted me down, blocking my way. I don't understand what her problem with me is.

"It looks good enough on all the boys here..."

"Except you're a girl! So why are you wearing a boy's uniform?!" Oh, here we go, time for a lecture... she reminded me of my mother. Only...

Wait a minute, what weird get-up? I looked down at myself - bare legs, shorts, a black blazer, nothing like the dresses I normally wear. A boy's uniform? There are no uniforms at magic school; the nobility wouldn't stand for it. Come to think of it, this isn't...

I broke out of my train of thought as the guidance counselor leaned into my face. I felt like I knew the answer already. Wasn't it...

"There's no rule that says a girl can't wear a boy's uniform. I guess there's no problem!"

Before she could say another word, I strolled past her, moving as fast as I could to get around the nearest corner. Whew... probably another lecture coming later about that, but the longer I could put that off, the better. The only problem was... where to even begin? Looking around the school hall, it was obvious I was in the wrong place. The magic academy doesn't have any building that looks like this... and why am I wearing a uniform? A boys' uniform, no less? It reminded me of...

...oh come on, not again! Did I die as Katarina? Am I now in my third life?

Some part of me was aware that I had classes to get to, but there were more important things. I needed to get somewhere where I could get my bearings and clear my head. A nearby washroom had a mirror for me to check myself over in. Sure enough, I knew that uniform from an anime that A-chan and I watched long ago - I was dressed as Utena Tenjou, the heroine of that series! Only... I was still me - the Katarina Claes version of me. The guidance counselor had even said my name. Same brown hair, not the pink that Utena had in the anime. Same villainous face and sharp cold eyes. If I still had any doubts, though, the ring on my hand put them all to rest - the Rose Crest ring, a famous symbol of that series.

What the heck was going on?

~~~

"I now call this meeting of the Katarina council to order! It is imperative that we determine what has happened to us at once, and whether it means we are at risk of new doom flags!"

Scholar Katarina pushed her glasses up. "As you can see by our outfit, we have clearly taken over the role of Utena Tenjou. A survey of our fellow students has confirmed that this school is Ohtori Academy."

"Utena is such a fun character!" Happy Katarina beamed. "She's brave and outgoing and everyone loves her!"

"...so why would we end up as her?" Spineless Katarina fretted, shifting nervously in her chair. "That's a lot to live up to and we don't have any experience..."

"We became the villainess in our previous life," Fearless Katarina pointed out, "and that wasn't like us either!"

"This is true," Scholar Katarina agreed. "However, this may not be a new life. We have no memory of dying this time, and we still look like Katarina, not Utena."

"And nobody would know better than us!" Happy Katarina was quick to chime in. "So if we didn't die, we avoided a doom flag! Amazing!"

The gavel tapped the table as Chairman Katarina silenced the others. "We cannot discount that this world may have doom flags of its own. Katarina Claes, what can you remember about Revolutionary Girl Utena?"

The projector shifted to show images of a large gated forest behind the school, a shadowy student council, and an array of colorful roses. "Our role this time is the heroine; we fight members of the student council in duels as part of a contest surrounding this girl," Scholar Katarina changed the projected image to show a dark-skinned girl with purple hair and glasses. "Anthy Himemiya. She becomes a close friend of Utena over the course of the series, driving the powerful student council to take her away from us by dueling."

"Let them try!" Fearless Katarina stood, grinning fiercely. "Katarina hasn't gotten to show off her sword skills yet, but we've been practicing for years!"

"We may not have a choice. Remember in the series, it was said that if Utena didn't go along with the duels, she could be expelled from the school by the will of the student council!"

"But... but that's as bad as exile!"

"Indeed. Once again, we risk exile or death. This world has all new doom flags to watch out for. How well do we know our adversaries?"

Scholar Katarina pondered. "Our memory isn't as good as it should be. After all, we've spent 15 years as Katarina Claes. We've had more important priorities. There is a best friend character, though, who explains the student council members to Utena in the first episode."

"That's today! We have to find her! Where would we - "

~~~

"I found you, Katarina-sama!"

I found myself knocked out of my inner thoughts - and almost knocked to the ground - as a pretty schoolgirl with brown hair tackled me head-on, causing me to wobble and nearly lose my balance. I was able to get steady and set her down, looking up at my best friend...

"What are you doing, avoiding class like this? Are you trying to get in trouble? I could come along if you wanted to skip the next one too..." her finger twisted a lock of her hair, as she gave me a familiar look.

"...MARY?"


	2. The Rose Bride

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katarina realizes her friends have come along for the ride.

Mary was blushing, which I'm pretty used to; I feel like she's always got something she wants to say and just can't spit it out. Probably about Prince Alan, her fiancé. She always gets so intense around him! I was surprised to see her, though - not to mention seeing her in the role of Wakaba, another character from the anime. It fit her like a glove - enthusiastic, cheerful, loving. I broke out in a big smile and hugged her back.

"I'm so glad to see you, Mary!"

"Katarina-sama..." she sighed as she hugged me back. She does that a lot, too; I think sometimes she doesn't know what to do with a friend like me. She's such a beautiful proper lady, and I... well, here I was, wearing a tomboy's school uniform. I looked her in the eyes; I know Mary would do anything for me as a friend, which fills me with joy and gratitude, but I can't ask her to do something like skipping class.

"You go ahead, I'll meet up with you after class!" I beamed. She looked worried, but I gave her my best smile and told her I was just feeling a little sick. For a moment, I was afraid she was going to drag me to the school nurse! I had to tell her three times that I would be fine.

"Alright, but you had better be around after class. I hate missing out on our time together." Such a good friend! I felt sorry that I wouldn't be there in class with her; maybe she was worried about finding it as boring as I sometimes do, even though I try to pay attention. As she ran off, I walked around the courtyard, hoping to clear my head and think about things. There was a bench near a large fancy greenhouse, so I sat and took out a notebook to try and organize my thoughts.

I wasn't dreaming - I had already pinched myself a few times to wake up - and I was still pretty sure I hadn't died again. Nonetheless... this was definitely Ohtori Academy, Utena's school from the anime that A-chan and I watched; I recognized the greenhouse from the show, and all the rose imagery - so many roses everywhere! Mary loves to garden, I can only imagine how much she would enjoy this beautiful setting. Come to think of it, though...

That's right, though... in the show, Anthy was the one who tended to the rose garden in the greenhouse. It was a bit surprising to me that Mary wouldn't have ended up in that role. Was there already an Anthy in this world? I scribbled down a list of the characters I remembered... the two-faced devilish playboy student council president, Touga Kiryuu; his popular younger sister Nanami, who was jealous of her brother's attention; the vice-president, handsome but cruel Saionji; the piano player Miki Kaoru, a nice boy with a troublesome sister; and Juri Arisugawa, the beautiful and refined fencing captain. Would any of these characters have been taken over by my friends?

Hmm... I jotted down their names. If Keith were anything like he was in the game, he would fit Touga perfectly, the playboy with the bullying sister (that's me! Or would have been me, anyway). The Keith I grew up with, though, my brother... nothing like Touga. I couldn't imagine anyone but Geordo fitting that role, the angelic face hiding that dark and dangerous heart. That made perfect sense - Prince Geordo is already so authoritative, and I'm sure he'll be student council president next year, since he did have top grades. I frowned at that... next year, but only if we were back in Sorcier, at the magic academy, not stuck here at Ohtori.

Penciling in Geordo next to Touga's name, I looked down the list. Miki was the pianist, that was obviously Alan. He doesn't have a troublesome sister, of course, but... I remembered Geordo's dangerous smile. Definitely a troublesome sibling. Maybe that counts. Alan's name joined the list for Miki. I already found Mary, playing the Wakaba role; that left two roles for girls to fill. Sophia is beautiful and graceful enough to take over for Juri... but so is Maria. Although -

~~~

"If we're the protagonist character," Spineless Katarina squirmed nervously, "what if Maria gets cast as the villainess?"

"Maria is too sweet to ever be the villainess," Happy Katarina countered. Fearless Katarina nodded in agreement.

"It might not be up to her," Scholar Katarina pointed out. "Look at how much work we had to put in to avoid our doom flags at the magic academy, and we had years to prepare!"

"Is Nanami really a villainess, though?" Fearless Katarina shot back. "We don't remember her being much more than a minor bully, except that she was also a Duelist. Katarina knows how to handle bullies, and she has much more sword practice!"

"And there's no way Maria could ever be so cruel, she's so kind and wonderful~"

The gavel came down. "Katarina must stay here and observe to see what happens. In the first episode, Utena sees Anthy Himemiya and Saionji right here by this greenhouse. If Katarina hides inside, she can spot who shows up and we can make plans for any possible doom flags!"

"And in the meantime, we can tend the flower garden!"

"Any objections?" "No!"

~~~

I much prefer working a field and tending to proper vegetables, but I had to admit the rose garden was relaxing in its own way. It was great practice for examining smaller shoots and leaves for bugs and rot and carefully trimming them away. It was also mentally exhausting - no wonder Mary is so amazing, if she has this kind of mental energy to commit to gardening, it's obvious how she can apply herself to anything she puts her mind to.

Oh no! I promised Mary I would meet her after class! I looked up to see if there might be a window of opportunity to slip away, but there were people outside the greenhouse. I couldn't risk being spotted until I gathered my crucial intel - the fate of Katarina Claes could hang in the balance! And who I saw...

~~~

"MAYDAY! MAYDAY!"

"It seems," Scholar Katarina pushed her glasses up on her nose, "that Maria Campbell has been cast as Anthy Himemiya, the 'bride' that all of the duelists are fighting to win. If the duelists are all capture targets..."

"We're on the route to destruction!" Spineless Katarina rocked back and forth in her chair, tears pouring down like a fountain. The gavel hammered on the table.

"Order! Order, I say! Katarina Claes, you have the floor."

"Maybe it won't be like the anime! After all, none of our friends would ever - "

~~~

There was a loud cracking sound from outside the greenhouse. Oh no! Did someone... did someone dare hit my dear sweet Maria? I leapt up to confront the jerk who would even dare - and hit my head on the countertop. Oww. Crawling carefully out from under it, I peeked over the roses to see who was there. Maria was kneeling on the ground, and above her was...

~~~

"DOUBLE MAYDAY! DOUBLE MAYDAY!"

Scholar Katarina's brow furrowed. "That's not even a thing."

"It should be!" Spineless Katarina squealed. "Prince Geordo is Saionji! He's Engaged to the Rose Bride at the start of the story!"

The council went silent.

"Doom flag..." intoned Chairman Katarina. Scholar Katarina and Spineless Katarina nodded.

"It seems the work Katarina has done to take Geordo's events away is now all for nothing. Geordo is Engaged to Maria. If Katarina gets in the way, he will surely attack her with a sword."

Fearless Katarina leapt up on the table. "Then Katarina will strike first! We'll challenge him to a duel."

"That's right!" Happy Katarina cheered. "If we win, he won't be Engaged to Maria anymore!"

"The plan is settled, then. Katarina must seize the momentum before it's too late. We will play our role in this story. Don't forget to bring the roses, they're important for dueling."

~~~

I stood up and ran outside, but it seemed that as I was puzzling out what to do, Geordo and Maria had already left. Instead there was only Mary, looking quite cross with me. I wanted to explain, but my first impulse was...

"Mary-chan, please forgive meeee!" I sobbed, falling to my knees. "I lost track of the time! I was here listening to Geordo -"

Oh, that did not help. I swear she began to turn red.

"Those Stuarts... why you should give them any of your attention, Katarina-sama, with the kinds of things they do..." she huffed. Huh? What had happened to her?

She saw me looking and blushed, fidgeting slightly. "Only... I wrote a letter, you see..."

Aha! Of course! I grinned slyly. "A love letter?" The blush got even deeper. My eyes widened. That's right - Wakaba writes a love letter to Saionji, and he casts it away, embarrassing her when it gets posted in a public place! Mary doesn't have any feelings for Geordo, though... does she? I thought she loved Alan. Unless...

"I understand!" I announced. "You wrote a beautiful letter to your love, but Geordo snatched it away because he didn't want your feelings to reach that person!"

Mary's eyes widened. "Oh Katarina-sama! You do understand!" Her eyes filled with tears - how dare Geordo hurt her like this? She deserved to be with Alan if that's what she wanted. "It's all I ever dreamed of, for you to finally understand!" She stepped closer, tears still flowing. I hugged her close. 

"Mary, I promise you... I will definitely make Geordo understand that he can't get in the way of your love!" I ran off to find him - Saionji would normally be at the kendo room, hopefully that's where Geordo would go when acting as him. I'm glad this worked out so perfectly - I could begin my plan to save myself from the doom flag and help my dear friend Mary at the same time. I heard her sob of gratitude as I ran off, stepping over a broken toy snake someone had left outside the greenhouse.

Don't worry, Mary - I, the princely Katarina Claes, will fight for your true love!


	3. I Challenged My Fiancee To A Duel...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katarina throws down the gauntlet and connects with another one of her close friends.

I burst into the kendo club's room, trying to project confidence. Geordo hadn't met me in this new world yet, and I wanted to deliver a strong first impression to show that I wouldn't be easily defeated. Sure enough, there he was - the handsome, angelic smile hiding the shadowy plots of his dark heart. When I played Fortune Lover, I was always captivated by his character, even though it made his route so much harder. Now, though...

Well, over the past seven years, I had spent a lot of time with Geordo. Lately I had come to suspect he was playing a new game with me - would you believe, he wouldn't break off our engagement, even though my silly scar had finally healed! Honestly, I knew he was just keeping it going as a way to ward off all his admirers. He has such a fan club... even in this world, girls were already gathering around him. That's right... now it makes sense; Saionji had a fan club as well. Most of the characters in Utena did, come to think of it.

"Geordo Stuart!" I declared. "You have a lot to answer for!"

His eyes widened, and for a moment his mouth twitched like he was going to laugh, but he stayed composed.

"What might that be, I wonder?"

"Don't play coy," I put my hands on my hips, a power pose I remembered from my first life. "You took the letter that my best friend wrote and filled with feelings from the bottom of her heart, and you cast it away like garbage!"

He sighed, still smiling softly. "I'm sorry if that upset you, but she shouldn't have written such things. It was inappropriate of her."

"You have no right to decide that!"

"I have the most right of anyone," his smile was hard, his eyes shadowed. "Almost anyone, at least. I'm sorry if I upset your friend."

Ooh... always so perfect, so confident... so smug. I didn't care if he thought he was being a protective brother to Alan by taking Mary's letter, his behavior was so cold about it, as though she were trying to steal the thing dearest to him. I knew Geordo and Alan were on better terms than they had been in Fortune Lover, but that would be taking it a bit far! I grabbed up a wooden kendo sword and raised it at him. I had a doom flag to defeat, an engagement to break, and a friend to avenge.

"I challenge you to a duel, Geordo!"

He shook his head, his smile warmer now, as though I were a child amusing him. "I'm sorry, but I can only accept challenges from other chosen Duelists. You aren't a member of the Student Council."

I raised my hand to show him the Rose Crest ring I wore. "You can't get out of it that easily. I challenge you to a duel for Maria!"

He blinked, smile gone, face showing surprise. "You're challenging me to a duel... for Maria?"

Oh, right. I reddened sheepishly as I fished the rose out of my pocket and presented it to him. His eyes were soft up close, filled with swirling emotions I couldn't describe before he hid them behind a new smile. "I had no idea you felt so strongly about my being Engaged. If this is how it must be, then I will be in the dueling forest after school today."

I tilted my head - were his eyes a bit misty? Geordo had already gone back to practicing his swing, a bit more firmly now. I'm sorry Geordo-sama, I thought to myself, but even though you're my very dear friend, right now you're also an impending doom flag that I have to clear. I resolved to find a way to make it up to him when we got back to our world, if we ever did... Geordo deserved to be with someone as sweet and kind as Maria, I just didn't want to face death or exile in order for him to find that happiness! I'm sure he would understand. I'd offer to break our engagement again, I'm sure that would be best.

In the meantime, though... I had another Engagement to break.

~~~

"The Duels of the Rose Crest," Scholar Katarina presented on the main screen. "One Duelist is the Engaged, the current champion, who gains the Rose Bride to their side until they are defeated by another Duelist."

"She would do whatever the Engaged wanted," Spineless Katarina fretted. "Katarina can't let Maria be put in a situation like that! Something shameless might happen to her! We've already seen Geordo's black heart making him behave coldly, just like Saionji!"

"Maria is such a nice girl!" Happy Katarina beamed.

"She can be too nice, though. She won't show any more confidence than Anthy Himemiya did in the anime. We have to help her! She's one of our most precious friends!" Fearless Katarina declared.

"All are agreed," Chairman Katarina intoned, "and this choice will help us confront our nearest doom flag right away. Let us remember the rules of the arena."

Scholar Katarina pressed a button to change the display. "Each Duelist wears a rose on their lapel. The first to knock off the other's rose is the winner."

"The Duelists are all members of the Student Council, except for Utena in the show."

"She's the special exception! She wants to be a noble prince and save the Rose Bride from anyone who would harm her!"

"And they fall for each other... it's just like a romance novel..." Happy Katarina burbled.

"Don't forget, we need to bring a rose. We can get one for Geordo too, while we're there."

~~~

After stopping off at the unattended rose garden to pick a white rose for me and a green rose for Geordo, I raced off to the forest behind the school. The Rose Gate was there - just as detailed and elaborate as it was in the anime. A-chan had called the style "rock coco," which I didn't really get, but I always liked that she knew things like that which I might never have learned about. A touch of my hand opened the gate, and I ascended... far more steps than I realized. Wow... the show really wasn't kidding about the number of stairs, was it? I hummed a bit of the song under my breath as I climbed. "Zettai... unmei..." but... ahhh, I forgot most of the words. It was supposed to be about serious things, anyway. Clocks. Time. Planets. Dramatic books. The future. Destiny. Definitely a lot of destiny. By the time I reached the top, I was just mumbling "destiny... destiny..." to myself. I was too hungry, honestly. I hadn't had any snacks all day. I missed having snacks around all the time, even though I hadn't been in this world a full day yet!

Geordo was there waiting in a white coat with green pants, and next to him, looking like an angel in red, was Maria. Somehow, even though I never forgot a single detail of her face, it always took me by surprise how incredibly cute Maria was. It's like Nicol's devilish allure, only the reverse of that. Angelic. That was the word. Maria walked up to me.

"H-hi," I stammered cheerfully. It was so good to see her again.

"Good afternoon, Katarina-sama," she blushed as she smiled at me. "Did you bring the roses?"

"Roses? Oh yeah... I have them right here. Geordo, this one is yours," I tossed him the green one, and began fidgeting with my lapel to pin the white one when Maria's hand came up to stop me, her fingers brushing mine. Her face was bright red.

"That's not for you, Katarina-sama..." she mumbled. I looked at her, confused. "I would be honored... if you would pin it on for me."

"Pin it on for you?" What was she talking about? "The Duelists need these roses, Maria." I smiled at her. "I can go pick you more roses later if you like. A dozen of the best ones, fresh from the greenhouse!"

She looked as confused as I was. "Yes, Katarina-sama, I need that rose for the duel."

What?

"You're not dueling Geordo, I am," I laughed. She shook her head, and Geordo sighed. "I challenged him this afternoon."

"Yes, you challenged him on my behalf," she blushed even more deeply, if that was possible. "I accept your invitation to become your Engaged, but according to the rules of this place, I must defeat your current Engaged before I may... may have that privilege, Katarina-sama."

Current Engaged? Geordo had his hand out to call me to his side. Wait... what was going on here? Did our engagement in our world somehow mess with the Rose Bride in this place?

"Come here, Katarina. The duel must begin. You asked for this." If I didn't know better, I would think Geordo's feelings were hurt. I went over to him, hoping to explain the confusion, but he put his arm around the small of my back as if we were dancing, tilting me slightly and leaning in to whisper the words I remembered from the show.

"Grant me the power to bring the world revolution."

His hand... where was that going? So forward... I found myself blushing even thinking about what it looked like he might be doing, when suddenly light glowed from my chest, and the hilt of a sword popped out of me!

~~~

"WHY IS HE HOLDING KATARINA LIKE THAT?"

"WHY IS THERE A SWORD IN KATARINA?"

The gavel struck.

"Shh, quiet, you're missing the duel!"

~~~

I watched, barely understanding what was happening, as Maria squared off against Geordo. The wooden sword I had brought would be no match for the steel one that had... come out of me, apparently. I was going to have to unpack that idea later. I did remember that from the show, but Utena was always the one pulling the sword from Anthy's chest. Even thinking about how intimately Geordo had been holding me brought the blood to my cheeks. Poor Maria, though... Geordo is a trained duelist from his time in our world. A commoner could never be expected to know the proper forms the way he and I had learned them, and with a wooden sword...

...sure enough, Maria fell to the ground as Geordo's blade snapped clean through the wood. My heart went out to her - I wanted to run in there and stop the fight, pick her up off the ground. I was going to do it, too. Even as I started moving, though, Maria got to her feet, charging at Geordo in her long, flowing red dress, the stub of the wooden sword held high. Geordo rushed to meet her, a confident smile on his face...

...and green petals scattered in the wind.

Incredible... I knew Maria tried her hardest at everything, but Geordo could outmatch almost anyone in any contest, and he was famously talented with swords. She's more amazing than I thought!

Geordo looked staggered, dropping his sword. I ran over to him to make sure he was alright. It's rare that he should take such a hit to his pride.

"...tougher competition than I expected," he was already smiling as I got to him.

"Cheer up, Geordo," I told him with a smile. "At least now you're no longer engaged to me," his smile tightened, "and you can find someone you really like to get engaged to!"

"Find someone I really like..." he said to himself. "Yes... if only she could be found." He turned and strode out of the dueling arena, hiding his face from us. As always, Geordo-sama was hard to read.

Maria walked up to me, sweaty and flushed and glowing. She looked even more adorable than normal, somehow. Her smile made my heart skip a beat. She took my hands in hers - quite forcefully, for her.

"That was amazing, Maria! I didn't know you knew anything about swordfighting!"

"I don't, really..." she admitted, "but I had to give it my all to get what I wanted most!"

That's right... the dueling game was supposed to have a mysterious, wonderful prize at the end. A miraculous power to revolutionize the world. I wondered what Maria would do with such a thing when she looked me dead in the eye and said a line that would make a capture target swoon.

"I've been waiting for you, Katarina-sama. You are my Rose Bride." She blushed pink, looking fiercely adorable as she pushed the words out. "From this day forward, you belong to me!"


	4. I Became Engaged To A Girl...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katarina settles into her new dorm room.

The next day, I found myself moving into a new dorm with Maria, with a shared suite and no other students in the building. It was kind of strange to think about, but as my dorm room at the magic academy was so generously sized, as were my rooms at the Claes estate, this would really be my first time really sharing living space since my first life. By the time I reached the room, it had already been scrubbed and polished to the last detail. Maria was on the floor, her arms and head resting on the bed, a cleaning rag still in her hand. She looked incredibly cute asleep, and I was afraid to wake her.

Of course, no matter how quiet I wanted to be, I couldn't stop a knock on the door. Maria bolted awake.

"Katarina-sama!" she squeaked. "I'm so sorry, I don't know what happened..."

"Don't apologize for sleeping," I told her quickly, feeling guilty for why she was so tired to begin with. "It's my fault for not being here sooner to help you!"

Another knock at the door. Maria stood, smoothing her cleaning smock, as I went to let our visitor in. My guess was Mary, and sure enough, I was immediately tackled by a squealing blur of brown hair.

"Katarina-sama!" she gushed. "I wanted to come and see your new rooms, I heard you have so much..." she drifted off. "...privacy."

The change in her tone of voice was obvious. I followed where she was looking. Oh right! She hasn't met Maria yet in this world.

"Mary, this is my new roommate, Maria Campbell. Maria, this is my best friend, Mary Hunt!"

"Welcome to our home," Maria curtsied. Mary looked a bit hurt. I forgot... in the show, Wakaba doesn't have a roommate, she lives in her dorm alone. No doubt Mary was lonely.

"Thank you for having me," she replied coolly. I would have to make it up to her somehow so that it didn't spoil Maria and Mary becoming good friends, like they had been in Sorcier. "I can't believe it... a whole dormitory, for just the two of you? I'm envious..."

"I didn't realize you valued privacy so much, Mary!" I grinned. "You're always so quick to..." I was going to say something about joining group activities with my other friends, but I remembered that those were things that happened in our previous world, not this one. Quickly, I fixed it: "...to find the good in new situations!"

"Are you sure it's just the two of you that will be living here?" she questioned intensely. "Alone?" Maria blushed pink and turned to scrub the window. I guess she missed a spot.

"Just us!" Mary pouted, and I amended "but you can come visit us anytime?"

"Really, Katarina-sama?" she sighed happily. Why was everyone blushing today? I didn't think it was all that hot, but both of them were definitely flushed.

"Of course! I want us all to be really good friends!"

"If that's what you want, of course... then I should talk to your new roommate. To get to know her better," Mary said blandly. There was something about her eyes... Mary often looks like she's thinking far beyond anyone else. It's no doubt part of why she's so smart, but she looks much more beautiful and gentle when she's in the moment.

"If that's alright with Maria, then it's fine by me. I'll go for a walk while you get acquainted." How nice! Mary practically shoved me out the door with a huge smile, waving goodbye as I left them to it. Hopefully this part of life could at least go back to normal soon. Of course, I still had more problems to account for... for one thing, I still had no idea why we were in this world, and I also hadn't had a chance to look for the others yet. I also had to explain to Maria about the duels, so she would understand that it's my job to fight to protect her. I wasn't at all surprised to discover that Maria was turned into Anthy; she's so wonderful, after all, and just like in Fortune Lover, everyone is after her heart. In this world, they could literally duel to win her affections...

Oh no! Could that be it? Some kind of magic to enforce the proper course of the romance arc? To put back into place the flags that I had messed up without meaning to? I had unintentionally crashed into flags I wasn't thinking about in our previous world, after all - Alan and Mary's first meeting, for instance. Did I break the world of the game so much that I caused some kind of magic backlash?

In any event, if the other capture targets have also become student council members, they will be approaching me to duel for the Rose Bride, one by one. In order to avoid the replaced doom flags, I just have to beat them in the dueling arena. Maybe I can even convince them not to duel! I remembered A-chan pointing out that never worked for Utena, but I was working with two advantages - I knew the story of this world already (...well, most of it. There are still details I'm fuzzy on) and I also knew the people who had taken over for the cast. Surely Keith would never challenge his beloved sister to a swordfight, for example! Alan would, just to be competitive. I couldn't imagine Nicol doing something like that, either.

Although... I didn't see it, but if Geordo really had struck Maria... that would be in character as Saionji, who was always terrible and abusive, but totally unlike Geordo. I would put a lot of devious things on the third prince, and certainly he often acted like he was more entitled to spend time with me than my other friends just because we were still engaged, but the idea that he would hit Maria made me sick to my stomach and brought the blood rushing to my face. I would have to talk with them to confirm I was mistaken. I know I heard something, but Geordo isn't like Saionji. He wouldn't be...

...standing here right outside our dorm.

"Good day, Katarina."

"Geordo!" I shouldn't have been surprised to see him, but my brain was still working overtime over this Saionji issue. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see you. I am..." he shuffled awkwardly, an adorable behavior I've never seen from the confident prince. "I'm concerned about our engagement."

"Our engagement?" So wait, was what Maria said... true? But... "I thought you were Engaged to Maria!"

"Campbell-san?" he sounded just as puzzled as I was. "Why would... she's a nice girl, Katarina, but you are..." he paused, looking lost for words. I was flushing a bit myself at how cute he looked when unsure of himself. "You are... the Rose Bride." He smiled. "The one who wins the duels is Engaged to you and you alone."

"So that means Maria and I really are Engaged, then?" This was so strange. I was cast as Utena, not Anthy, in this new world. Why would I be the Rose Bride...?

"We are!" called a soft but firm voice from behind us. I looked back to see Maria and Mary approaching. Mary threw herself at me immediately, latching on and hugging me close.

"Hello Geordo," she said stiffly. Ooh, she was obviously still angry about her letter. Although he smiled back, there was no warmth in it.

"Mary-san. Don't you think you're going a little too far?"

"Whatever do you mean? Katarina-sama is my one true love," I flushed in embarrassment at her teasing as she continued, "and it's not like you're Engaged to her anymore!" She sounded much too pleased by that. I know she was upset about her letter, but it almost sounded like she was talking about something more. Of course, that whole 'one true love' line was right out of the anime; Wakaba would always say such embarrassing things to Utena, and be close to her and hugging her. They were such good friends, just like Mary and I. I felt a gentle touch on my arm.

"He is not... but I am," Maria's voice remained quiet but firm. Mary loosened her grip and slid down, pouting. Maria was blushing slightly, as usual. "What can we do for you, Geordo-senpai?"

Geordo's smile was stiff as he held out a green rose. "I demand a rematch. To win back my bride."

"You can't do that so soon!" Mary protested, but Maria had already taken the rose from his hand. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised - this is exactly what happened in the show, after all, with Saionji coming for a rematch right after losing. As Mary left to go back to her room and Maria went back inside, I stood out in the cool evening air, wondering about what was taking place. In the show, the characters wanted 'the power to revolutionize the world,' and that was what winning the Rose Bride meant. I of course didn't have any kind of power to change the world, although apparently I have a sword inside me somehow, which is still really strange. I touched my chest absentmindedly, where the blade had emerged when Geordo called it out. The feeling had been strange... too intimate, like he was seeing me without my clothes, or like a hug lasting a little too long. It reminded me of how I had felt when I asked to touch Sophia's hair without thinking - like a line had been crossed, maybe by accident, but definitely without thought or consultation.

I was thinking about my doom flag... if I was really the Rose Bride, then Geordo couldn't become engaged to Maria in this world; each of them could only duel for me. Technically, then, I should be totally fine, but... my fingers traced where the blade had emerged. I didn't know what to make of that feeling. I wasn't sure I wanted to feel it again.

Maybe... maybe I should teach Maria about swordfighting.


	5. I Became Engaged To My Fiancée... Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Geordo reflects on his time at Ohtori Academy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Glad to see people are enjoying this. I love to see comments. I've really enjoyed the run of Hamefura this season, and Utena is just a terrific show to subvert (also, it had a video game spinoff which was a "dating sim," so that's a fun added layer!)

"Won't you help, Geordo-sama?"

"I don't see what I have to gain," I told the girls through a thin smile. "I am already engaged to Katarina, a fact that too many people seem eager to forget." I gave Mary Hunt my best icy glare, but it was more out of frustration than any hope that it might land this time - Mary has spent years building resistance to my attempts to pressure her to leave our engagement alone. Inwardly I sighed, though I tried to remain composed. "Also, this is a bad idea. You don't know what it will do."

"Why do we even need him?" This was Keith Claes, my fiancée's adoptive brother. My eyebrow twitched - for as bothersome as Mary was, Keith was my very first rival, and has a closeness to Katarina that I sometimes worry about. "Let's just try with what we already have.

"We need fire magic to... to..." Sophia Ascart mumbled, looking up from a book. She seemed to be mustering herself for something. "To make the passions real!" she finished in a rushed squeal.

Mary cocked her head at me, giving me an appraising look - a face I used on countless people I wanted to manipulate or coerce. Her lip curled in a way that would have made another man's blood run cold. Just for a second - and then her smile was all sweetness and light. Honestly... and people think I'm two-faced...

"That's fine, Geordo-sama. I'm sure you're right and you don't need it. After all, you are engaged to Katarina. Of course..." she put a finger to her chin, her face a mask of mock curiosity, "...how many times has she offered to end the engagement?"

I was still smiling, although it hurt my jaw to keep my teeth clenched like that.

"I'm sure she'll notice eventually," Mary continued to twist the dagger with her honeyed voice. "It's only been, what, seven years? Nobody else has had a chance to get into her affections in that time, of course..."

"I don't think you've attended as many lessons in subtlety as you could stand to, Mary-san," I countered politely, but the damage was done. Her smirk told me that I wasn't able to hide my concern. Seven years of engagement to Katarina Claes, my strange and wondrous, joyful and foolish, kind and surprising fiancée. Seven years, and she still talked like she thought I was humoring her with it, or going along out of a sense of obligation for a long-healed scar. Seven years, and she still never seemed to see... me.

I sighed. "Very well, but I still think this is a bad idea..."

~~~

That was how I found myself in a strange and grandiose school, dressed in a princely uniform (without a cape, I noted with some dismay) of a white coat and emerald trousers, flashes of awareness about this new world flickering through my mind. I was engaged - Engaged, rather - to Katarina in this place as well, by virtue of rules laid down by the student council of the school, of which I was vice president. Only...

...I knew this was a bad idea. The thoughts slipped into my mind like a half-remembered dream, memories not my own. The Rose Bride, that was the title given to Katarina, and to be Engaged to her was the prize of a dueling contest between members of the student council. She would join the current champion, live with them...

I found my face flushed as I thought about it. Of late, I've been unable to deny a rather ignoble ardor has seized me when I'm around Katarina. I can't explain why it should be that she seizes me so, makes me think of the most ungentlemanly things... there are, objectively, girls far more beautiful at the magic academy, certainly even those in our social circle, but notwithstanding that Mary Hunt is my brother's fiancée and Sophia the sister of my dear childhood friend, I've never given either of them a second look. I couldn't fathom anyone doing so when Katarina, my sweet, naive, driven princess, was in the same room. Looks, comportment, wit... Katarina cut through the semantics of attraction like a candle through a string. She burned bright and fiercely, and a look into those captivating, intense eyes would inevitably sweep me away, take my feet out from under me and flood my thoughts with... well.

The point, I supposed, was that as the current champion, I could make her understand my true feelings at long last; I only worried that I might struggle to restrain myself. I was aware that the first assignment of dormitory rooms would take place tomorrow. Surely I could make it one day as her champion.

Of course, that assumed that the others would play by the same rules - it was sheer chance that the school messenger hadn't known where to bring Mary's love letter, a surprisingly candid piece with some shockingly suggestive passages that I disposed of immediately. As well, the clothing in this strange storybook world was quite immodest. By midday, I had resolved to find Katarina and make sure that things were working as they should - for the strengthening of our Engagement. The memories told me that the Rose Bride would often be found at a greenhouse in the heart of the school. That made me laugh - of course Katarina would pull us all into a story where she got to garden to her heart's content. When I arrived there, however, I found not my fiancée, but rather two things I hadn't wanted to see at all: Maria Campbell, possibly my most dangerous rival for Katarina's affections; and, for some unfathomable reason, an incredibly realistic wooden snake!

"Geordo-sama! It appears we have been successful. Have the memories settled for you?" 

It was hard to deny the commoner's charm, which made her all the more dangerous. I noted she looked uncomfortable with the revealing outfit this world had put her into... interesting, that would suggest that she was being honest about this being a level playing field, one none of us would know in advance. 

"Some, yes," I confirmed, "but I still have a few gaps. Might I ask why you're in this garden right now?"

She blushed slightly. "I wanted to make sure that Katarina-sama..." but whatever she was about to claim fell by the wayside as I stepped on the toy snake.

Far from Katarina's childish paper pranks from our youth, this articulated wooden toy appeared custom-made to alarm someone averse to snakes. Someone like...

"Why..." I muttered through a teeth-clenched smile, "is THIS here, too?" To punctuate my point, I squeezed the toy at its weakest joint, causing a loud snap as it broke in two.

"It must have been something that Katarina-sama felt very strongly about," Campbell murmured as she knelt on the ground to pick up the pieces. I sighed again. I was right... this had been a terrible idea. Katarina was nowhere to be found, I was apparently at risk of losing her, equally at risk of becoming much closer to her than I could trust myself to be, and so far her feelings had manifested most strongly in scandalously revealing attire on the women of this place and a particularly frightening toy snake. It was to be predicted, really. 

"That girl... how does she do this to me?" I muttered softly. I could see Campbell's ears turning pink. No doubt she was having similar feelings. With nothing more to be gained at the greenhouse, I returned to a location designated in the intrusive memories - a room for the practice of a strange style of swordfighting, quite unlike the courtly methods of Sorcier. If the flickering memories could give me access to these skills as well, my Engagement would be quite secure...

\- but then, Katarina herself burst into the training room, dressed in a black coat and... rather not much else. I fixed my eyes on hers to avoid any hint of impropriety, but Katarina looked... intense, vibrant... and angry. "Geordo Stuart, you have a lot to answer for!" she declared with her trademark vigor. The sight was so incongruous... I had to stifle a laugh, but... did she know? Best to check gently...

"What might that be, I wonder?"

Mary's letter, as it turned out. My smile stiffened again - so Mary wouldn't be so easily thwarted. She really was going too far. I tried to point this out to my fiancée, who responded by, of all things, challenging me to a duel! Not on her own behalf, of course, but rather... she was presenting me with Maria's challenge?

It was always a small hurt, deep down, when Katarina offered to break off our engagement, a small reminder that she hadn't understood my feelings after all this time. This challenge, though, felt... like an escalation of that same pain. Here I was waiting for tomorrow to arrive so that I could bare my heart to her, and tomorrow wasn't able to come fast enough to beat Katarina Claes. She approached me to hand me a rose, the symbol of the dueling game in this storybook world of hers, and I tried to compose myself, to hide my pain behind a gentle smile. "I had no idea you felt so strongly about my being Engaged," I told her. "If this is how it must be, then I will be in the dueling forest after school today."

Not long after, I entered the strange and fanciful arena concealed within the school's private forest. Some part of my mind told me I should be surprised at the sights around me, the staircase twisting up into the heavens, the upside-down castle in the sky above, but mostly I couldn't get Katarina's challenge out of my mind. When I reached the top, Maria Campbell was already waiting, now garbed in a proper red gown that suited her well - though hardly an appropriate choice for a duel, I was not about to complain about an advantage.

"I'm so sorry, Geordo-sama," she told me, looking completely sincere. "I don't know where Katarina-sama got the idea to challenge you on my behalf!"

"Where she gets any of her ideas, really..." I muttered, still stung. "This was not how this was supposed to go, Campbell-san."

"I wonder," her eyes went wide as she put her chin in her hand, "whether Katarina-sama remembers herself in this world, or if she might be somehow more caught up in it than we were?" I raised my head to look at her, feeling a small flicker of hope in my chest. If Katarina was playing out some unknown story, maybe...

The girl herself strode into the arena, and before either Maria or I realized what she was up to, she had thrown me a rose and was trying to pin the other one on herself! Did she not realize... it would be quite like her not to, of course, to think that she would come here and duel me herself. Still, the flickering memories were quite clear about the Rose Bride's role, which included a strange ritual with more than a bit of intimacy to it. I called her to my side, Engaged and Bride together, to say the words the memories had given me. Would this actually do something? Or would my hand touch where it should not? I drew her close, my mind firing, my blood racing, and tilted her gently to whisper in her ear:

"Grant me the power to bring the world revolution."

This was what I wanted, I understood from the flickering images that had followed me since waking in this storybook world. I wanted to change the world, so that it would be a place where Katarina could open her eyes to my true feelings, feelings she could feel free to share, without whatever had been holding her back for so long. I wanted her love, eternally, all for myself. If I were Engaged to her, in this place, that could very well happen.

But first, I needed to defeat Maria Campbell. As the magical sword came to my grasp, I was filled with confidence - years of practice, peerless skill, and singular purpose, all would come together to secure my love. Nothing that Campbell could do would make a difference - no commoner could hope to -

\- but she stood her ground, charged at me, even with a broken wooden sword, and with a determined and brave stroke, she took Katarina from me.

I looked up at the strange vision in the sky, understanding it for the first time. The world of noble structure that I had come to know and trust in, all turned upside down by this girl. How could I lose? I couldn't even remember the last time I was outmatched at something, let alone something so important to me. 

"Cheer up, Geordo," she told me with a smile. "At least now you're no longer engaged to me, and you can find someone you really like to get engaged to!" She sounded so sincere as she spoke those hurtful words for the hundredth time, words that told me my feelings still had not reached her.

"Find someone I really like..." Have I not done that? No, evidently. I have come into these woods, searching for her, for the Katarina that sees my heart and understands my love. The most elusive game of all.

"Yes... if only she could be found."


	6. For Whom The Rose Smiles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katarina becomes a swordfighting instructor to help Maria prepare for her rematch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We should be running into more characters soon. Let me know in the comments if I should be explaining more of the Utena concepts - my guess is most readers are coming in familiar with My Next Life As A Villainess.

I woke up the next morning bright and early, and was a bit surprised to hear Maria yawning and shifting below me. I've never actually woken up at the same time as the people around me before; in my first life, late nights as an otaku meant I often overslept, while I was always the earliest riser in the Claes family, getting out to check on my fields before my mother could scold me.

"Look out below!" I called cheerfully as I swung down from the top bunk, narrowly missing Maria. She gave me a cheerful smile in return. I found myself flushing from how warm it was this morning, and opened a window to let in some fresh air. I turned back to her, pumping my fist in the air. "Since today's our day off, let's go to the fencing club!" My stomach rumbled a bit. "After breakfast," I corrected immediately.

"Fencing club?"

"Of course! I'm sure we can find some place to practice there. You did well in your last match, Maria, but Geordo is a tough opponent!" I lectured matter-of-factly. "And you'll be using a real sword this time!"

She seemed hesitant, and I could understand why. Geordo is definitely an intimidating challenger, and Maria had probably never held a real sword before. I tried to cheer her up. "Don't worry, I've been learning for years! I'm sure I can teach you what you need to know, especially since you're so brilliant anyway."

Maria's cheeks went pink at that. I don't think she was used to compliments. "I'm not special like that, Katarina-sama..."

Oops... I forgot, they've become the characters from Revolutionary Girl Utena. I had no idea what Anthy Himemiya's academic performance was like... although, was she Anthy, or was I? Apparently I had become the Rose Bride, despite my uniform. If she was Utena... well, Utena's grades were never fantastic. Best to tread carefully on saying things I'm not supposed to know.

"After what you did the other day, I believe in you! One hundred percent! You just need some confidence and a bit of tutoring!" I grinned a bit sheepishly, remembering all the times Maria had tutored me in our previous life.

"If... if you want to teach me, Katarina-sama, then I..." she looked up at me firmly, still blushing. "I wish to learn!"

"That's the way!" I beamed, looking through my clothes for an outfit. Although... I held up one of my uniforms. "If you're going to be dueling, it might be better if you wore something more like this?"

Maria's face was as red as her dress. "I couldn't possibly..." she squeaked out. "Even my own uniforms..." she turned and faced the wall. She's so modest... it's adorable, but I can see why she's struggling. The girls' uniforms are very short in this setting. A-chan had explained to me it was something about a male-dominated view of... I didn't remember all of it, but it sounded serious and important. As for poor Maria, though, if bare legs weren't her thing... I fished around in my closet some more. Utena rarely changed outfits, but the show was made in the 90s, and the girls were all pretty leggy, so maybe... aha! I pulled out a pair of long white stockings.

"Here! Try these to help with your outfit!" I turned around to let Maria change in private.

"Um... Katarina-sama..."

I looked back to see her all dressed, with stockings coming up to her thighs. She was still blushing furiously. I blushed too - she looked even more adorable with the stockings! It was actually even more scandalous, somehow. This was what they called "zettai ryouiki," wasn't it! I flashed a grin, trying to play it cool - I couldn't let her know that I'd accidentally caused her to enhance her appeal in such a way!

"There, you see? Much more covered up. I'll change and join you for breakfast," I called as I stepped into the shower. Ahh... I had forgotten after so many years of baths how simple and refreshing a shower could be. The Kingdom of Sorcier could definitely stand to add showers. I ran down to meet Maria at the school cafeteria for a quick power meal before training.

~~~

"Geordo-sama will most likely be fighting using a katana, just like Saionji did. What approach might work best against that?" Chairman Katarina called the meeting to order.

"Last time he was still fighting using noble techniques. If he tries those with Saionji's katana, he'll be easy to beat!" Fearless Katarina boasted.

"What if he doesn't use a katana? What if he finds a sword he knows better? What if Katarina isn't a good teacher?" Spineless Katarina quailed.

Scholar Katarina pushed her glasses up. "Katarina remembers in great detail all of the methods she has learned over the years. As the council may recall, we chose to spec into swordfighting at a very young age, and all of Katarina's teachers agreed that she showed great talent."

Happy Katarina propped her face up on her hands. "Maria-chan is a good girl and tries her best! Katarina will teach her everything in no time!"

~~~

We got to the fencing club, and I looked around to see if any of the others were here. Normally Utena would run into Miki Kaoru or Juri Arisugawa in the fencing room, and I was curious whether my other friends might have appeared in those roles. It certainly seemed likely. Juri in particular should have been here - or the person "playing" her, anyway - since she was the fencing captain.

"No such luck," I sighed. Maria gave me a curious look and I shook it off, flashing a confident grin. "Come on, we can train with some of the others!"

Fencing gear was a privilege we hadn't had in Sorcier when I was learning; Maria and I donned protective outfits, though for teaching I had her leave the helmet off so I could see her reactions. I showed her the right grip, how to find the balance of the sword, and then we started working on stances. Maria's determination was clear, but anyone could tell she'd never done anything like this before and was struggling to understand how to hold her body. I stepped around her to help, lifting her arms in mine and pressing her back so that she was holding her torso more upright.

Wow... she even smells pretty. A true otome protagonist. I couldn't help but giggle. Here I was, hoping that my holding her and guiding her to the right position would help make her less flustered, and instead both of us were somehow more flustered at the end. I resolved to ask her what kind of soap she was using that made her smell so lovely. We shared a bathroom and shower, so I thought it would be the same as mine.

I had Maria don her helmet and try a few lunges with me. Her heart didn't seem to be in it, though.

"Katarina-sama, um... could you help me with my form one more time?"

"Of course!" Maybe this time we'd be able to stay calm. I was sure if she could just trust herself and loosen up a bit, she would be fine. She definitely seemed more relaxed this time, leaning into me more. It would have been surprisingly cozy if it weren't for the protective gear. Once I was sure she had her footing, I called to another student and asked if he would practice with Maria. Her strikes this time were more definite. Her lunge still left her overexposed, but she went for it with gusto. Each time she started to lose confidence, I was quick to guide her back to her home stance, and before we knew it she had beaten three opponents in practice matches, and it was already late afternoon!

"Oh wow... we might have overdone it a little, huh?" I laughed, feeling foolish for not having noticed sooner. "We'd better eat and rest before you have your duel."

~~~

"You see? Maria-chan is a good girl!"

"She does appear to have picked up some skills remarkably quickly," Scholar Katarina agreed.

"One day isn't enough when Geordo has had a lifetime, though" Spineless Katarina wailed.

"She just needs confidence, like we saw this afternoon!" Fearless Katarina countered. "Remember, she also gets the Sword of Dios!"

"Only..." Chairman Katarina paused. "...did we tell her how to draw the sword?"

~~~

"Are you sure I can't convince you to take my uniform?" I couldn't keep the doubt out of my voice as I saw what Maria was wearing. She looked beautiful in the Rose Bride's elegant red dress, but it was totally impractical for a duel. She blushed softly.

"I couldn't possibly, and besides... to be truthful, I find this much more comfortable for me."

"Then it's perfect!" I pumped my fist and gave her a confident grin. "Let's go!" 

We stopped off at the greenhouse quickly so that I could get some dueling roses. Green for Geordo, and... I hesitated between a pretty feminine pink and a soft and pure white rose. I think she had a white one last time... I had to giggle. If Maria was actually Utena, that made her "my prince," and the prince always wore white, so the white rose it would be! We walked together to the dueling forest, discussing what I had taught Maria today, her brow furrowed in concentration.

"Katarina-sama?"

"Huh?"

"What is that song you're humming?"

"Oh, that?" I was a bit embarrassed to have been doing it out loud. "Just a song I heard once... or twice... many times, really. It's about stairs."

"Is that so? I don't believe I've ever heard a song about stairs." Maria was smiling softly.

"Well," I could feel myself coloring a bit from embarrassment. "It's not really about stairs, it's just... I think about it when I'm climbing these stairs. I think it's about destiny. I forget... most of the words, really."

Maria looked up to the arena above, still smiling. "A song about destiny... somehow, I feel like that's perfect for climbing these stairs with you."

I wasn't sure why that made me feel glowy inside, but it did. Wait... glowy... oh no!

"Maria, there's something I have to tell you before we get to the top!" We were barely ten steps away. She turned to me in surprise.

"Do you remember the last duel? When Geordo got his sword?" She blushed. "That's what you have to do this time. You just need to," I mimed leaning backward, trying not to go so far that I fell down the staircase, "tilt me back like we're dancing and I'm the girl and you're the boy. I think that's it..." I dug through my memory. "Oh right! You also need to say the magic words, that's the most important part for some reason. Make sure to say: grant me the power to bring the world revolution!"

"The... world revolution?" She seemed taken aback.

"Exactly! It means..." I sighed internally. I needed A-chan to properly explain all of this. I had loved watching Utena and was totally immersed in the aesthetic, but sometimes the actual plot got away from me. "It means something... special to the person who says it," I decided. "It's about the power to change the world. That's what the Rose Bride is for. I think."

"I see," she looked astonished. Or maybe confused. Her expression was quite hard to read. It's a lot to take in when it's really happening, and not just something they're saying on the screen.

"Just remember your words, okay?" I took her hand to give her fingers a reassuring squeeze, and led her up the remaining stairs to where Geordo was already waiting.

"Are you sure you want to fight again?" he asked Maria. "I don't want to hurt you, but I will do what I must for Katarina." Ohh Geordo... that kind of line would have fit perfectly in Fortune Lover, if he had been talking about Maria, instead of challenging her. The blonde girl gave a feisty little nod. I pinned the green flower to Geordo, who grabbed my hand.

"Katarina... I will win you back. We will be Engaged again. I promise." Wow... it's almost like he really wanted to be engaged to me for marriage, and not just out of obligation for that silly scar! It was flattering to think about, but I knew Geordo's character always had something more under the surface. He wasn't smiling as usual, though. It made him sound more sincere than usual. 

He released my hand and I fixed the white rose to Maria's lapel. "You remember what you have to do?" I asked her quietly, giving her a small smile of reassurance. "Just be confident." She nodded again, looking quite determined. She really was pretty when her face was like this. Her arms came up around me and I blushed a little as she tipped me back. I could feel the light gathering in my chest - her hand beneath me was warm, reassuring, almost hesitant, and she drew the sword in the same way. Somehow it felt more intimate because she was hesitating, like she still couldn't believe she was supposed to be doing this. I suppose it was all rather unbelievable, the magic sword emerging from her friend like that, but... the heat in my face refused to fade as I thought of her gentle hesitation.

Geordo was using Saionji's katana, which I had expected, and rushed forward abruptly. I facepalmed as I realized - I had taught Maria how to square off against an opponent in fencing, but Geordo - huh, actually, it looked like he was finding his weapon harder to use than I had expected. His strikes were wide and broad, as though he were adapting an ill-fitting style to an unfamiliar weapon. He wasn't fighting like Saionji, and his hesitation in certain swings that might have seriously endangered Maria due to the length and curvature of the blade left him losing momentum. I watched with pride as Maria found her footwork coming together, pressing into Geordo's reach and keeping the larger sword on the outside.

"I told you, Campbell-san... I'm sorry, but I have to take this seriously!" Geordo's voice rose as his foot came up, and then Maria was sprawling backward, falling to her knees. I was shocked - I knew Saionji would fight like that, but I thought Geordo was too much of a gentleman to buy himself an opening that way. This was his dark side, wasn't it? Of course. Maria, for her part, looked hurt but unsurprised.

"I understand," she told him firmly. "But so do I!" Something seemed to grow brighter about her in that moment, something I didn't understand - was it her light magic? No, it was something else... the Sword of Dios came up and she used what I had taught her, shifting her weight. I had showed her how to lunge forward using the back foot like a spring, a move Geordo should know very well - but with that long red dress, he wouldn't be able to watch her footing. He wasn't as familiar with moving around in a dress as she and I were. Geordo's sword was raised to strike down - but for the second time in as many days, it was the green petals that scattered to the wind.

"Yes! Excellent, Maria! You were amazing!"

Geordo was kneeling on the ground, his sword apparently broken in two! I gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze as we left. It wasn't his fault he was cast as the brutal Saionji, nor that he represented a new doom flag for me. If the pattern held true to the show, he should now be out of challenges, at least for the next little while. Maria and I smiled at each other as we returned home to our dorm. For tonight, at least, I could sleep free from fear thanks to her.


	7. I Met The Student Council President...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katarina runs into another familiar face.

The next morning, Maria and I walked together to class after breakfast. The food here has been pleasant, I guess, but I had been hoping to see some Japanese food around and the cafeteria mostly served things I could have found anywhere. I remembered that there was a cooking room in the school that had ingredients for curry, though... Maria has never had curry! I should make some for her. I'm not a very good cook, but it's pretty hard to mess up curry.

"I'm glad we have this time together, Katarina-sama," she told me softly. I looked over to see her with a small smile and a blush, staring at the ground. It was a bit embarrassing to have her still calling me that here where we were supposed to be classmates - I never really liked it in Sorcier, either, but at least there it was for her benefit.

"Listen... Maria... you don't need to call me Katarina-sama, okay? Only... it's a bit silly, since we're both just students here! You can just call me Katarina!"

Her eyes widened. "I couldn't, Katarina-sama, it wouldn't be proper!"

I sighed. For all of her wonderful qualities, I sometimes forgot that Maria was an otome game protagonist who attracted all the capture targets, and harem protagonists can be so dense sometimes. Just totall oblivious to everything around them. I tried another angle. "I mean... you don't hear anyone else calling me - "

"Good morning Katarina-sama!" a group of girls waved and giggled as we passed. "Katarina-sama, how are you?" another group of girls asked. Maria giggled as I hung my head. Sometimes I just can't win.

"Alright, but when they say it, it's not serious like when you say it," I protested. "Nobody else actually means it like you do!"

"KATARINA-SAMAAAA!" something tackled me from behind, spinning around me in a crushing hug and filling my face with glossy brown hair. I tried to keep my balance as I reached up to push the hair out of my face, revealing Mary's sparkling eyes. She's so pretty, but that enthusiasm of hers... 

"Mary! If you keep coming at me from behind, I don't know if I'll be able to endure!" I chided her. For some reason she went bright red when I said that. It's not like she was the one who got the wind knocked out of her. "Just... a little more warning next time, okay?" I grinned. Mary smiled back and took my arm, walking with me like we were boyfriend and girlfriend. I heard what sounded like an angry squeak on my other side, and then Maria locked elbows with me as well. My friends were so funny sometimes!

~~~

"Isn't this fun?" Happy Katarina chirped.

"Nothing like being free from our doom flag," Fearless Katarina leaned back in her chair, feet on the table, only to fall backwards as the gavel struck.

"We may have checked one doom flag, but Katarina can't rest easy yet. We still haven't found Keith or identified the other duelists," the Chairman reminded the others.

"What if... someone else is interested in Maria? We know there are more duelists coming, and they don't really want Katarina," Spineless Katarina's voice was small, but the reminder that nobody actually wanted Katarina was potent. Scholar Katarina pushed up her glasses.

"It should be easy to find out of Mary has been able to connect with Alan-sama now that we've stopped Geordo interfering. We can ask Maria, as well.

"Hear, hear!"

~~~

"So, Mary, Maria... there's a ball coming up soon." I remembered that from the early episodes of the show, the student council president was the host. Come to think of it... I was reminded of another student council president who had red hair. Was there any chance of... no, I couldn't worry about that right now. Doom flags had to take priority. "Is there anyone either of you like?"

"Katarina-sama is the only one for me," Mary purred, nuzzling her head on my shoulder. I smiled, but I could feel a vein going in my head. Why did she pick now of all times to play coy?

"Mary-san, I'm sorry, but Katarina-san is already Engaged." I had to laugh at how firm Maria sounded about that, though I was worried that she was taking the rules so seriously that she might be denying herself happiness with the capture target of her choice.

"Listen, Maria... you know that even if we're Engaged, that doesn't mean you can't like someone. You know? Is there someone else you'd like to go with?"

Maria wouldn't look at me. Oho! A secret! "Katarina-sama..."

"Yes Maria?" Come on, tell me, I want to know the secret!

"...who would you want to go to the ball with?"

Uh. I hadn't planned on going, to be honest... it could be fun getting dressed up once in a while, and I liked spending time with all of my friends, but all of the balls and parties in the Kingdom of Sorcier had been so stuffy and formal and uncomfortable. I would have much rather gone on a picnic with Maria than dragged her to a ball.

"I've never really thought about it!" I tried to get out of answering, but Mary's arm on my other side tensed up.

"I insist you tell us, Katarina-sama. What kind of person would you want to go with?" How frustrating... why did they have to put me on the spot like this? I sighed, trying to picture myself in a ball gown next to some tall well-dressed man... I could picture an outfit like Geordo or Keith would wear, but nobody's face came to mind. Time to pull something out of thin air, then.

"I guess I would... just want, maybe, like a normal boy?" I was kicking myself inwardly for how lame that sounded. What did it even mean?

"Normal boy?" Mary chirped, her voice tight. Uh oh... she knew I hadn't really given it enough thought. Maria's arm was also tight on my other side now. I don't think I gave them the answer they were looking for. I'm sorry, girls, but there just isn't a boy I want to go to the ball with!

"Well, if it's a normal boy, you're looking for..." a man's voice said. I looked up as a tall silhouette stepped forward, cutting off the sun, dark hair fluttering in the breeze. The light caught his face - 

It's a good thing Mary and Maria were holding onto me. I felt my knees go a bit week as I saw the smile of the devilish count.

"...maybe I can fill the part."

"Good morning, Nicol-sama," Maria greeted him. I looked at her, puzzled.

"You know him?"

"Of course," she looked at me oddly, then her eyes went wide for a moment and her cheeks went pink. "We're both on the student council." She looked away from me again. Oho... is this her mystery crush? Maria, you have good taste.

Nicol's smile was faint as he approached us. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Nicol Ascart, student council president and..." he hesitated, then smiled again. "Totally normal boy."

That line... it would have been more fitting for Keith's character from the game, or maybe even Geordo's dark and cunning side. From Nicol, with that dazzling smile, though, it sounded much too sincere... I felt butterflies in my stomach as I looked at him, remembering some particularly intense parts of a few books Sophia and I had read. In Sorcier, Nicol had favored dark colors, but here at Ohtori Academy it was obvious what role he had taken over. In Touga Kiryuu's red-trimmed white uniform, Nicol looked like a storybook prince.

I wasn't sure how Mary and Maria were unaffected. He stepped closer, smile fading as he looked away awkwardly, leaning in close. 

"Your hair is just like silk; I wonder... may I..." he raised a hand gently. I think I nodded? I know I felt fingers brushing my hair lightly, and my arms felt like they would be squeezed off for some reason. He really was impossibly beautiful... nobody could resist such charm. It wouldn't matter if you were a guy who liked girls, or even a girl who liked girls. Everyone was helpless before that smile. When he straightened up and let it fade a bit, I released a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding.

"Um... Mary, Maria... it's a little too tight!"

"I'm so sorry, Katarina-sama!" They let go at the same time, which landed me on my butt. Oww... I should have remembered to check my footing first. Nicol's hand came down to help me back to my feet.

"I would like to get to know you better," he told me. Maria stepped forward.

"Is that a challenge, Ascart-san?"

He shook his head. "Not today, Campbell-san. Just an invitation, that's all."

Maria gave Nicol a long hard look as he walked past us. I didn't actually know how well Nicol could swordfight, if at all, but in that moment, I would have bet everything I had on Maria winning if he had been foolish enough to try her.

~~~

"Nicol wasn't one of the original doom flag routes for Katarina, but if he's playing the two-faced student council president..."

"That's odd, it should be Geordo who took the place of Touga. He's much more two-faced, the angelic prince with the devilish agenda."

Happy Katarina sighed contentedly. "Nicol is definitely a Devilish Count, though."

The rest of the council agreed.

"As I was saying," Scholar Katarina frowned. "As a duelist - no, as the head duelist, the final boss of the season, he may now represent an unknown doom flag! I propose that Katarina get more intel on his activities after class."

"Motion carried." The gavel struck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one was supposed to cover a bit more ground... hopefully I pick up the pace next chapter.


	8. On the Night of the Ball

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Rose Bride and her Engaged are invited to a ball by the student council president.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a piece of art commissioned for the story. You can see it at the end of the chapter!

After class, I found myself watching the students milling about below. Nicol was down there, surrounded by a fan club of girls, just like back at the magic academy. Some things would never change, no matter what world we were in. It was a funny thought, but it made me a bit sad, too... even though I had Maria and Mary and Geordo and Nicol here, and expected to find the others, there was a weird gap between the characters they played and the friends I had made. If A-chan was here with me, we'd probably be comparing notes on which Fortune Lover character best fit the Ohtori student council... she would find this all so cool.

I missed knowing everyone, though... I missed Geordo's strange games, competing with Alan, reading with Sophia... my stomach gave a small gurgle to remind me how much I missed Maria's sweets. And Keith, my adorable little brother - I couldn't remember the last time we hadn't seen each other in so long! To be honest, even though exploring the campus that had sprung to life from the anime was a joy, I kept hoping my mother would come around the next corner and lecture me about my outfit, or Anne would wake me from a strange dream to help me with my hair and dress. Even though she was here with me, I also missed - 

"KATARINA-SAMA!"

Mary's tackle nearly knocked us both over the balcony I had been leaning on. I'm not sure if she realizes she's more... uh... heavy in the top... than the character whose role she was in. The added weight and pressure made trying to keep my footing even more of a challenge. She loosened her grip and let her arms slip down around my waist as she leaned in, wearing an enormous smile. Ahh, who could stay mad at a smile like that, even if she had almost put us in a lot of danger!

"Hi Mary," I beamed back. "Are you ever going to stop sneaking up on me like that?" Her arms squeezed my waist as her grin widened.

"Never! I have you right where I want you." She made a mock pout. "You're not going to get away from me that easily." She looked around, while I continued people-watching. "Where's your new roommate?"

"She wanted to get some books after class," and I let her go so that I could wander the campus and get a handle on my memories of this show, is what I didn't add. I loved spending time with Maria, but when I was with her time seemed to slip away somehow. All my work thinking about the Utena setting and what I needed to watch out for just faded into "what is Maria looking at that's making her smile?" or "what could I show Maria that she would love from this place?" or "which one of the capture targets is closest to Maria right now?" Serious, goal-oriented, doom flag questions, yes, but I needed to get more information about how this world was changing the rules.

"I get you all to myself, then!" Mary chirped brightly. I nodded, looking back at where Nicol was moving away with his group of followers. "Unless your mind is still following Nicol Ascart," she sighed, calling me out. I put an arm behind my head in embarrassment, hoping the scratching would distract me.

"Sorry, Mary, I was just surprised by him, that's all. Hey, have you seen the rose garden yet?" Her eyes were shining. I think she was excited! "I was in there the other day, it's this beautiful greenhouse. You have to see for yourself!" I took her hand to lead her to do just that.

"I'm sure I will love wherever you are taking me, Katarina-sama," she breathed. I let her take my arm as we hit the stairs, descending to the courtyard...

...and a trio of very familiar-looking girls ran past us in a hurry. Say, who was that dark-haired one in the front?

"Mary? Do you know them? Only I thought one of them..." my eyes widened as I realized, letting go of Mary's arm so I could twist around to look in every direction. There - Maria over by the wall. I ran to her, remembering all too well where I had seen the dark-haired girl and the others before. They were the school bullies who had attacked Maria with fire magic. As I got close, Maria turned to me with a smile, and I could see she wasn't hurt. Lucky for them; this wasn't Sorcier and without my mother to worry about, I would probably have chased them around with a hoe. She was standing next to...

...Sophia! I gave a silly smile as I realized how dumb I was to not guess that sooner. If Nicol was Touga, then of course Sophia would be his younger sister Nanami. I wanted to sweep her up in a big hug, but we hadn't met in this world yet and I didn't want to shock her as badly as I had long ago, when we first met. Unlike all the others (even me!), Sophia was wearing her hair just like the character from the show, which made her even more adorable.

"Maria! I wanted to make sure you were alright, I saw some girls running..." Sophia turned to me. Just like her brother, with her gorgeous, silky white hair; the two of them really are just too beautiful. "Hi! I'm Maria's classmate. Roommate, also. Maria's friend," I finished lamely, causing Maria to giggle.

"Of course I know who you are, Katarina-sama," Sophia told me. "I am Sophia Ascart; my brother is the student council president. I was just telling Maria-san that she is so very pretty, she should come to the ball tonight. She would have her pick of the men." Maria's smile was the polite embarrassed kind you give when trying to excuse yourself from something.

"I am sure they all have someone else in mind. It was a lovely offer, though. And thank you for your help with... those girls." Ooh, what did those b-words do to Maria? And where was my hoe?

Sophia looked uncomfortable. "I am sorry about my friends; it's not your fault Geordo-sama won't come out of his room." He what? I blinked as I processed that. I think that's what Saionji did the next day as well... if he's just playing the part, that's fine, but maybe I should check in on him sometime just in case. Sophia was holding Maria's hands in hers. "Please allow me to make it up to you!"

Maria's gentle smile seemed to make Sophia blush. I hadn't expected that out of her, although from time to time I did wonder if maybe Sophia was attracted to girls. A lot of our book selections had romances between two ladies, for instance, or a commoner girl and a noble lady. Of course, Maria's capture targets were all men, but I could ask Sophia if there were any other girls she liked, maybe.

"There's no need, Sophia-san, honestly. You are too kind." I was looking around for Mary, feeling guilty for abandoning her, but it seemed like she'd already left. Maria's touch on my arm made my heart jump in surprise. "Katarina-sama and I should be getting back to our dormitory now. Thank you again!"

"Nice meeting you!" I called to Sophia as we walked away from the school building toward the dorms. "She was inviting you to a ball? You should definitely go!" It would be a tactical gamble to expose her to the capture targets like that, especially in a pretty dress and smelling heavenly the way she does, which isn't from a special soap by the way - but I would get a huge burst of intel out of it, and also I could help her pick a cute dress! Maria shook her head, though.

"I don't... I'm not fit for such a thing, Katarina-sama."

"Of course you are! We'll find you a dress, you'll have every eye on you."

Maria stopped walking. I turned to find her eyes wet with tears.

"Please don't make such jokes, Katarina-sama. I know I'm not worthy to go to such a thing and that... that people just want to stare at the common girl."

Oh no! I had bullied Maria! All that time being her friend, working to avoid the doom flag, and I had made her cry again just like that! Just... like... why, though, would she think I was joking? I grabbed her hands and lifted them in mine, holding them between our faces so I could be sure she would look and see what I needed her to.

"I'm not joking! I am serious. I could never joke about how special you are, Maria." The tears got worse! Still, at least there was a small smile there.

"I sh-should have known you wouldn't make that joke. I'm sorry for thinking that of you, Katarina-sama." 

"Maria... you need to stop being sorry for things!" Oh wow, I sounded bossy. "Now come on, let's have dinner and then see about this ball." Much less bossy. Good job, me.

During dinner, there was a knock at the door - a messenger with dresses for Maria and I, sent by the Ascarts along with invitations to the ball at their home. Maria seemed to like her dress, but she was still acting anxious.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" she asked in a small voice.

"Of course! Now let's get changed." We have some capture targets to test you out on, Maria!

~~~

"The council's agenda for this evening: break down the affairs of the ball for tactical analysis," the Chairman announced, convening the meeting.

"I have a tactical analysis!" Happy Katarina jumped up, hand raised.

"Yes, Katarina Claes?"

Happy Katarina sank down like a marshmallow on her arms, grinning from ear to ear. "Maria looks so pretty!"

Scholar Katarina's glasses were pushed up. "That's not a tactical analysis."

"Nicol-sama hasn't approached Maria yet. He's just talked to Katarina and Sophia, and otherwise been surrounded by his fan club," Fearless Katarina pointed out.

"The others aren't here," Spineless Katarina quaked. "Why? Did they figure out our plan?"

"No way!" Fearless Katarina barked. "It was a foolproof scheme! Anyway, Mary's not here either, so maybe it was just a small guest list!"

"We should revisit the possibility of the girls' love route. I know we had never identified one in Fortune Lover," Scholar Katarina put it up on the projector, "but we have several pieces of evidence to suggest that Sophia might like girls. If Maria does as well, that might be our safe route."

"Too cute!" Happy Katarina was spread like a starfish on the table, just one big grin, forcing Scholar Katarina to quickly grab the projector remote before Happy Katarina knocked it off the table.

"Wait," Spineless Katarina grabbed the remote, flicking through several channels. "Where did Sophia and Maria go?"

"...footage not found..." the Chairman read ominously from the screen.

~~~

Where DID those girls go? I had seen them talking, Sophia was leading Maria somewhere...

...oh no! The ball episode! Nanami pulls a terrible prank on Anthy, humiliating her at the ball! But Sophia was nothing like that, surely she couldn't...

"Would you favor me with a dance, Katarina?" Nicol asked, but I couldn't help him get away from his fan club right at this moment. I looked out, seeing Maria on the dance floor, and a waiter walking toward her... the dark-haired girl was walking in the opposite direction, and bumped him, causing a bottle of wine to spill!

I leaped the staircase, landing a bit roughly and tearing the hem of the foolish dress Nicol had sent. Why couldn't these be more practical affairs? No time to worry about that, however; I ran over to Maria. The wine wasn't destroying this fabric like in the show, thankfully, but it was a large and noticeable stain. Poor Maria looked on the verge of tears as Sophia rushed over with water to dab at the stain.

Utena had done something to fix this in the show. What though? I couldn't think, I could barely move with this large floral sash. It needed to go.

...it needed to go on Maria. Hurriedly I ripped it away from my dress, leaving a few ragged stitches and some patchy fabric, but what I was wearing didn't matter. Nobody would look twice at me with Maria in the room, and if they were going to look at her, I wanted her looking her best. I threw the sash around her shoulder and cinched it at her waist, the big fabric flower covering the stain. Everyone was still staring at us, and Maria still looked like she was ready to cry. I did the only thing I could think of.

I took her hand in mine and raised it, putting the other at her waist. "May I have this dance, Campbell-san?" I asked loudly and formally. She nodded, eyes wet but cheeks flushed with happiness. I figured out a few seconds later that neither of us knew how to dance the man's part, but it didn't seem to matter as we stumbled through doing our own thing. I leaned my head in next to her ear to whisper excitedly: "You see? All eyes on you. You're the most beautiful girl in the room."

"I know that's not true, Katarina-sama," she whispered back, but when I looked at her again she was smiling with no more tears, a new kind of smile I didn't often see on her. I remembered that smile from A-chan, long ago - it's an "I have a precious secret" smile. I turned to look at where Nicol and Sophia were watching us from the grand staircase. Hmm... maybe there was more to this Maria & Sophia ship after all. I would have to investigate that further.

Some other time. Tonight was just for us.


	9. The Sunlit Garden

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another player enters the picture, and this one plays piano!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Keep the comments coming, I'm really enjoying seeing people's reactions!

School in the world of Ohtori Academy was no easier than at the magic academy, or my old school... most of my grades were good enough, at least, but I needed Maria's help a few times to understand some of the lessons. Maria is so brilliant, of course, she doesn't have any difficulty with her schoolwork, though she works very hard...

...hm... but that's right, in the anime, Anthy needed tutoring, which is how Utena came to meet the next member of the student council. I hadn't found Miki Kaoru's replacement yet, though the profile definitely pointed to Alan - a brilliant pianist, fencer, and genius, with a troublesome sibling who he had a tense relationship with. Of course, Alan and Geordo got along much better in Sorcier than they had in the original Fortune Lover, but... I sighed, smiling about the adorable but frustrating brothers. Even if their relationship was better, nobody could argue that Geordo wasn't still a troublesome sibling.

It was time to find the others, anyway. I hadn't seen Keith or Alan in a few days and I missed them both. I maaay have also been a little bit worried about my new doom flags, but that was beside the point.

"Claes-san, if you could please pay attention!"

I snapped upright in my seat as the class chuckled, a foolish smile creeping onto my face. Constantly thinking about doom flags probably wasn't helping my grades any, either.

After class, I decided to find the next capture target turned duelist by heading down to the fencing club. They told me the captain was out sick, and nobody else I recognized was there. The music room would be the next place to check. I crossed to the other school building, climbing the stairs...

...aha! I'm so smart! That's a piano, alright, and a man's voice. I pushed open the door to find...

KEITH???

My adorable little brother was sitting at the piano, wearing a white and blue student council outfit. Maria was standing next to the piano, looking at the movement of the pieces inside with fascination. I really need to remember to show her more things like this, I keep forgetting what she hasn't gotten to experience as a commoner and I want her to see it all. They turned as I approached, Keith jumping up from the bench in shock. I put up my hands in apology - I guess he wasn't expecting an audience.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bother you... I'm Maria's roommate, Katarina."

"Yes, I know," he sounded... oh, what's that word? Frustrated, but not in a bad way? Anyway, it was strange, and I guess I looked confused, because he explained: "We've been hearing a lot about you... in the student council."

"Right, of course. I'm the Rose Bride, and all that." Were his cheeks turning pink? "Say... if I'm in the middle of all this, should I be coming to the student council meetings?" Was I messing something up by not going? Anthy and Utena never went, but Maria was part of this student council somehow... I didn't want to cause offense and set off a doom flag.

"You would be most welcome, Katarina-sama!" Maria beamed at me, but Keith was shaking his head.

"I'm sorry, Katarina, but it's duelists only. I'm sure you can understand. I would be happy to get to know you better outside of student council meetings, though!" Definitely turning pink. It was strange to think of my little brother not recognizing me, and it gave me a little cold feeling in my heart.

"I'd be happy to! I didn't know you played piano!" Still. I almost said 'still' at the end of that, and wouldn't that be a disaster for me to have to explain! Luckily I was paying attention. Keith had started playing when we were young, because Alan played whenever he visited and I would sometimes play with him. Keith really did have a good friendship with both Stuart brothers.

"I do, yes, though I admit something is missing in the sound..."

"I think it's lovely," Maria told him earnestly, eyes bright.

~~~

"MAYDAY! MAYDAY!"

"Doom flag..." the Chairman intoned gravely.

"We don't know that for sure," Scholar Katarina pushed her glasses up. "This Keith still seems more like the brother we grew up with than the playboy from the game."

"Our little brother is much more charming, though! Maria would be lucky to have a man like him!" Happy Katarina was grinning foolishly. Scholar Katarina shook her head.

"Maria in the game falls for the playboy who reforms. You all remember how hot it is when he shifts from being a playboy to being concerned and caring."

The group gave a general sigh of approval.

Fearless Katarina stood up. "Chairman, I'd like to take the floor!"

"The floor is yours!"

She began pacing. "If we were the protagonist, we could duel him. Keith took the same lessons Katarina did growing up, and we can't be sure what other skills he inherited by taking over Miki's character. However..." the screen changed to show Maria's duel with Geordo, the clumsy but determined swordwork, the broken blade, the hasty swings. "Maria would be the one fighting him, and she still doesn't have much technique. Katarina will have to spend much more time training her."

"Agreed!"

"Are we sure this is a concern, though? Katarina is the Rose Bride, not Maria. Keith can't win Maria away from Katarina; he could only claim Katarina away from Maria."

"He doesn't want Katarina, so he won't challenge Maria." "Of course not, not with this villainous cruel face." "As our little brother he was kind and humored us. If he doesn't remember any of that, then he won't treat Katarina more nicely than she deserves." "Agreed."

Only the small voice of Fearless Katarina dissented, stealing the remote to change the screen to a child's depiction of Keith, Maria, and Katarina.

"What if... he wants to take the Rose Bride so that he can tell Katarina to stop getting between him and Maria, though?"

The room went silent. Then...

"Doom flag..." the Chairman intoned glumly. Fearless Katarina put a foot up on the table, raising a fist in determination.

"We can't leave it to chance, we have to stay with them to find out where Katarina stands!"

"Motion carried!"

~~~

"...I said, would you like to join me for a duet?" Keith was smiling in... exasperation! That's the word. I knew the face immediately. A lot of my friends and family seemed to get it quite often.

"Katarina-sama plays piano as well?" Maria's eyes were wide. "Oh please, Katarina-sama, I would truly love it if you would play for us!"

"Oh, sure! I'd be happy to!" I sat next to Keith, blushing a little as his leg brushed mine. It was strange to think of him as not knowing he was my adoptive little brother... a middle ground between the game character and the boy I grew up with. Maria had a tiny frown - she's not normally so impatient! "We just need a song. I have to admit, it's been a while since I last played." That was true; between school and gardening and manners lessons and lectures from mother, piano fell by the wayside. I think it helped that Alan plays so beautifully that he outshines us all. Keith turned a page and pointed to where he wanted us to start. I placed my hands on the keys awkwardly, and he put his over mine to arch my fingers upward properly. I always played with them flat, that was my problem. For some reason I was blushing - I really needed to stop thinking of Keith the capture target!

"This one is called The Sunlit Garden. Do you know it?"

The music from the show. Of course. "I do, yes! You can count us in."

I didn't think my playing was very good, but the frustration seemed to melt away from Keith as we played. Maria looked at us with eyes full of stars, her mouth a silent "oh" as we played together. It wasn't as good as Alan's playing, of course, but there was something satisfying about contributing to such beautiful music even a little bit, like seeing fresh produce served up from my own garden. As the piece came to a close, Maria clapped for us.

"That was wonderful!"

"I found what was missing, my 'shining thing,'" Keith murmured. Oh? I looked between the two of them, Maria's enchantment radiating at us, Keith's eyes simmering with a hidden joy that I bet nobody else would recognize in him. Nobody but Maria, perhaps? I felt my smile go sly.

"It's getting late," I told them, "but we'll have to do this again soon. Maria is free tomorrow, I think?" I winked at her, but she just gave me a confused look. Honestly... for such a brilliant girl, when her harem protagonist brain kicks in, she becomes so very dense.

"Yes, if Katarina-sama is also free, I would love to hear more music."

"Until tomorrow, then," he said, blushing deeply as he ran off. Yes! This couldn't have worked out more perfectly... I could 'chaperone' and get a read on where their love flags were at without needing to invite myself. I felt a tiny bit bad, though, that I had butted in on their time together for my own satisfaction, even if it had filled that cold spot in my heart to sit at the piano with Keith. If it weren't for needing to keep an eye on my doom flags, I would love to see Maria end up with such a wonderful person as Keith, and for Keith to have a girl so beautiful and marvelous as Maria. Once my doom flags were defeated, I promised myself, I would help Keith reach the heart of the girl he loved.

It wasn't until we were drifting off to sleep that night that I started to wonder... in the show, Miki's troublesome sibling was a sister he used to play piano with, but... since I'm Utena (well, sort of), who is his sister in this world...?

Oh well. Things to worry about another time. Today I found my wonderful little brother again, got a jump on my doom flags, and cleverly managed to get an intel operation going without anyone suspecting a thing. That's a pretty amazing day... yes, I'm pretty amazing sometimes, for a wicked villainess.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to give a shout-out to some other fics I've been following and enjoying. If you've been liking this one, please consider checking out these stories:
> 
> • Clashing Lives of a Villainess, by JustSomeNPC  
> • Lost and Found, by RosamundRosemary  
> • Mirror, Mirror..., by BogStandardOtaku  
> • Zuchini Flowers, by Lamely_Me
> 
> Definitely not an exhaustive list, I'm sure I have more fics to pick through!


	10. I Got My Brother Involved In A Duel...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith's turn to challenge Maria arrives.

I had been trying to spend a bit more time in the greenhouse with the roses; it really was a lovely structure, shaped like a birdcage with gleaming white bars, a garden of roses sitting in the courtyard of one of the main school buildings. Earlier this morning, I had shown Maria where the school's kitchen was (I swear she asked me, I most definitely did not say anything about wanting sweets. My tummy might have but I myself remain totally innocent of this) and then slipped down to check on the flowers. I still missed my vegetable garden, and trimming roses was a far cry from hoeing a field, but it gave me something to do while I pondered over my situation.

Keith Claes... my wonderful adopted little brother, though he was barely younger than me. I wished he knew about the strange thing that had taken place as well, bringing us all into the world of Ohtori Academy, but maybe it was just as well that he was still caught up in character as Miki Kaoru. At the very least, it saved me having to explain how I knew so much about this world and its characters, which might unlock a few other things that I needed to keep secret. Still, my brother had been the biggest constant in my life from the time that I first bumped my head and recalled my past memories, and in place of the frivolous playboy from Fortune Lover, he had grown into a gentle, kind, and truly patient person who I loved to see every day.

Unfortunately, the Keith of the game was one of my doom flags, and if he didn't remember our friendship growing up, the bond we had created... but I could see immediately, of course, how his eyes burned when he looked at Maria. She inspired a very strong emotion in him, it was obvious, and while I wanted to just wish them happiness and step out of the way (provided of course I could still see them both every day), right now as the Rose Bride I had become the key obstacle to their love.

"Ohhhh... how do I keep getting myself into these situations?" I groused. It still made no sense that this world had cast me as the Rose Bride. Of course, it also didn't make much sense that Alan wasn't cast as Miki. A piano virtuoso, accomplished in everything but still outshone by those who specialized in particular areas, like the fencing captain... a character tormented by a childhood rift between himself and a sibling who grew up to be troublesome and captured the attention of countless other students... the only thing that reminded me of Miki when I thought of Keith was the puppy-dog eyes, the way he would be shocked by even a hint of impropriety, or radiate delight when around the right people. He always smiled when he was with Geordo, for instance, as the two of them were both such good friends. Of course, Keith also had a sister, like Miki, though I wasn't anything like that. I wondered - 

"This really is a beautiful garden," a man's voice said softly from behind me. I turned to find my brother watching me, a relaxed and contented smile on his face.

"Good morning, Keith-san," I beamed. "Yes, I've just been checking on all the flowers. It's sort of a hobby of mine. Since I'm the Rose Bride, I should know something about growing roses, right?" His hand was up to his mouth, but I heard it anyway. "What are you laughing at?" My fists were on my hips as I gave him a little glare. I didn't know as much about flowers as Mary, but I was doing my best, after all!

"No no, I'm sorry," he waved his hand, smiling as he stepped forward to take in the greenhouse in full. "It's just..." his eyes locked on mine, and for a moment I forgot about us being adoptive brother and sister, the same way he must have - was he practicing Nicol's devilish charm? I looked away, blushing, to water the roses. He wasn't anywhere near as powerful as Nicol, but I would still have to talk with Sophia's brother about spending too much time teaching evil tricks to Keith. Poor Maria wouldn't know what to do with herself if Keith behaved like that around her.

"Just what?"

"Oh, well... I used to spend a lot of time in a garden, when I was younger." Right, of course - Miki and his sister played piano in a beautiful garden when they were little. I nodded absentmindedly.

"With your sister?" I still needed to figure out who she might be in this world, since she was the source of his problems. Keith gave me a confused look, his eyes narrowing.

"Yes... what do you know about that?" he asked me, his voice going soft as he stepped closer. There was something about how he looked... his eyes were locked on mine, like he was searching, or maybe expecting something. Oh no! I did it again, didn't I? Quick, I had to make something up.

"Nothing, really, only I heard some of the girls talking about how you had a sister your age," I covered quickly. That was true in the show - actually, they were twins. I should have said twins. Drat! "Uh... so you spent time in the gardens? What happened?"

Something faded in his eyes. Did I give him the slip? "We grew up," he mumbled, looking aside. "We grew up, and our feelings changed." He looked back, his smile returning. "I know it's silly, but it felt like a part of myself going away from me. The part that was bright and shining. I feel, now, like I can have that back again."

I smiled at him. "I'm so happy for you, Keith-san!" I really was, too... I knew I should be more careful around a possible doom flag, but he just felt so safe to be around... "Listen... I want you to have that shining thing in your life always. If you and Maria can make it work, I would love that."

He blushed deep red. "You would???"

"Of course!" I grinned.

"Then, could we..." his blush got redder, and he wouldn't look at me. "...could we go to the music room?" He seemed to be studying the glass, like he was worried about people seeing his feelings for Maria. It was too cute! I offered to meet him there after lunch - time enough to meet up with Maria, try some incredibly delicious snacks, and invite her to the music room to join Keith and I. Once the two of them were there, I could get out of the way (although I planned to hide around a corner and eavesdrop just a little bit) and let them be honest about their feelings. It was too perfect! Also, so were these muffins! I don't know how Maria managed to hide just a touch of sweetness in every bite, but her muffins are never like cake, all dense and sugary; they're always airy, fluffy, buttery, and heavenly in the mouth. Having access to modern ingredients at the kitchen class seemed to only improve her range. Maria really was amazing - doom flag or not, if she and Keith could be happy together, I owed it to them to help!

So it was that we showed up to the music room to meet my adoptive brother, still decked out in the white and blue student council uniform. It made him look princely and formal in a way that he usually didn't try to, probably because he had no fiancée and was already heir to the Claes estate, and thus didn't need to project status or elegance. Even I would dress more formally than Keith when we lived in the Kingdom of Sorcier, and I was the villainess, not a capture target! Even his facial expression was princely - the forced smile that I knew from Prince Geordo whenever I'd done something to... upset... him OH NO.

~~~

"MAYDAY. MAYDAY."

"Chairman Claes-sama, we have sustained self-inflicted damage!" Spineless Katarina panicked, switching the screen to an image of a submarine with Katarina's face on it, a hole on the side causing it to list in the water.

"The situation can still be salvaged," Scholar Katarina pushed her glasses up, "if Katarina removes herself quickly enough from their rendezvous."

"And we can still eavesdrop from around the corner!" Fearless Katarina declared.

"Until they start doing love things," Happy Katarina grinned, smoke coming out of her ears.

"Chairman Claes-sama, there's a fire on the lower decks!" Spineless Katarina's ears were also smoking.

"Don't worry, I have the perfect plan," Fearless Katarina's ears were spewing less smoke already as she popped an image onto the projector.

~~~

"You invited Campbell-san," Keith said in a pained voice. I worried I had overstepped somehow, that he wasn't ready for this after all. Was he supposed to invite her? Well... it was too late to fix that mistake, nothing to do but plow ahead and make my being here seem natural for the time being. Sorry Keith, sorry Maria, but you'll have to tolerate this villainess for a few minutes longer.

"Of course! You remember from yesterday, she said she wanted to hear us play together again?"

"Oh... OH!" Keith's smile was more genuine now. Success! "Yes, of course, we must play again for her." He and I sat at the piano, picking out a tune and slowly going through it. Maria's hands were clasped and her smile was radiant... just seeing how attentive and happy our audience was pushed me to put more effort into my part. At some point Keith got up to watch me play, standing next to Maria. This was all going so well, now... I just needed to make an excuse and escape.

"Campbell-san," Keith said softly, "do you think it would be okay if it was just the two of us, next time?"

I kept playing so as not to embarrass them, but I was peeking out the corner of my eye. Maria's eyes widened, but she gave a small, firm shake of her head, blonde locks swinging.

"I'm sorry, Claes-sama, but I am the Engaged now. You know what that means." Nooo... Maria... don't let him down like that! Keith would have more reason to be angry with me if he thought it was my fault!

"I do... but I don't care for these rules." I could see his knuckles whitening as he gripped the side of the piano. "I finally have a chance to gain the precious thing I've sought for so long, what I've been trying to gain since my sister and I, all those years ago..." I knew it! Come on, Maria, help him out...

"What would you do if you had that shining, wonderful thing?" Maria's voice came out like a whisper. "Would you let it go free, so that everyone could enjoy it?" I really should have left already, but they were talking like a romance novel and I found it captivating - and I was providing the soundtrack! Ooh, this was too good - I wished Sophia could be here watching it with me, even though it should be private.

Keith was silent to the end of the song, even though I went for an extra repeat. I looked between them, their gazes locked, some unspoken passion flickering there. His voice when he spoke was low and hoarse.

"I could never risk someone taking the light away from me." Uhh... it was starting to get a bit confusing, the metaphors and the - what was that? Keith was reaching into his pocket, and... he presented Maria with a rose.

"KEITH!" I shouted at him in annoyance. "Don't you know what that means at this school?" He should be giving out carnations or lilies or anything other than roses. Maria was likely to take that -

"I accept your challenge, Claes-sama," Maria said formally.

All afternoon I tried to talk Maria out of it, though I should really have known there was no point - the dueling rules were absolute. Maria for her part was sweet about it, but firm, which somehow enhanced her appeal. I liked seeing her confident, even if it was coming from a source that frustrated me.

"I just want to see the two of you happy!" I protested to her. I really should try to get her to shake her head more often, I love the way her hair shimmers when she shakes her head. I don't like arguing with her, though.

"I know that, Katarina-sama, and that's one of the things I love about you." Maria's eyes looked distant. "I understand Keith-sama's feelings, but he needs to understand mine as well."

Why does her harem protagonist brain have to kick in now? "Of course he understands your feelings, Maria! I'm sure you have the same feelings! Look, I'm happy to get out of the way -" she looked at me like my head was a turnip. "- or whatever you need from me, but how can you both be happy if you're going to fight each other?"

"It's important to me, Katarina-sama, that both..." she blushed, "...two people need to understand their feelings are equally valid."

I sighed. I wasn't winning this one. "Will this help?"

"I hope so," she said in a small voice.

~~~

"Keith has been trained by the same masters who taught Katarina," Scholar Katarina reviewed on the screen. "He has spent less time overall developing his skills, but considerably more time than Maria has."

Fearless Katarina paused the footage, pointing to a particular angle. "His stance has this defect, though. He's good at pressuring from the right, but he still treats it like proper fencing, not like self-defense."

"Katarina's teaching isn't very consistent, though, and Maria hasn't had a lot of time," Spineless Katarina clutched her knees to her chin, hugging her legs.

"She fights with Katarina's style, though!" Happy Katarina chimed in as Fearless Katarina changed the footage to show Maria's last duel, artless but offensive.

"If she does that and capitalizes on this defect..."

~~~

"Keith favors his right," I mentioned absentmindedly as we walked up the stairs.

"How did you know that, Katarina-sama?"

I flushed. I really needed to stop doing that. "Uh... I heard from the fencing club." To prevent myself from provoking more tough questions, I started singing, rotating the syllables of "mokushiroku" several times as we got near the top of the staircase. I really needed to remember how that song went; it felt like it played once an episode.

Keith was already there waiting, fencing foil in hand, looking like a prince about to dash off to rescue a princess, rather than about to duel one. I walked over to him to pin his blue rose on his chest. I felt my cheeks coloring a little - he really is tall and quite handsome, though I shouldn't be looking at him like that.

"You don't have to do this, you know," I told him quietly. "I don't want to get in the way of your feelings." I had wanted to be reassuring, but he looked at me like I'd kicked him. My poor wonderful brother... I didn't want to see him hurting like this. I was trying to help! I gave Maria her rose, pinning it to the lapel on her dress.

"Are you ready, Katarina-sama?" I nodded, although really I would never be fully ready for - and then I was glowing, and tipping backward, and something released from deep within me, rising up, feeling wanted, needed, hoped for... yearned for. The Sword of Dios. I felt hollow when it was drawn, all of the things it represented being something a villainess like me could never have, could never be. Maria held it upright, all of these cherished and desired things in one shining blade, and in my eyes it was a perfect image. Of course she could wield something this precious - it was the perfect mirror for her. Is this what Keith wanted? Had I failed as a big sister to cherish him, make him feel wanted, needed, hoped for?

Did I deserve his doom flag, if so?

Maria's voice was loud and clear as she declared: "Grant me the power to bring the world revolution!" and then the duel began, Keith using the back stance that let him lunge and maneuver with a narrow form, his blue rose well-defended. Maria was still favoring my style, and it wasn't working against Keith's more elegant method - she was finding it hard to defend herself, to close lanes of attack while finding avenues for a counterstrike.

"I can't lose this opportunity to make my feelings known," Keith declared as he pressed his advantage with a series of sharp jabs. "I have always been one step behind, even though I've always been so close. My feelings have been invisible."

Maria threw herself into a swing, deflecting his sword but losing ground as she fell back to avoid his jab. "I understand that pain, Claes-sama," she told him as she continued swinging. Her angles were getting better, but she was still nowhere near threatening his rose, and I was worried that only Keith's patience and desire not to harm her were keeping the match going. If only she could just come out and admit what I knew they were both feeling! Why did Maria have to be such a harem protagonist...

As Keith threw himself into a new series of jabs, I called to her from the sidelines: "You can do it, Maria!" I just wanted her to get it all out in the open, but...

Keith's head whipped around to look at me, his eyes wide, mouth frozen in shock. Maria dashed forward at that exact moment, and blue petals flew threw the air.

My poor adorable brother knelt on the arena floor, looking crushed. I ran over to him, aware that he didn't know I was his sister in this world, aware that I shouldn't... oh, whatever. I gave him a hug anyway.

"I know how hard you find it to open up, Keith-san," I told him gently. "You'll find a way to make your feelings known to her someday."

He sniffled and hugged me back. "I hope so, Katarina... I hope so..."


	11. I Dueled An Unexpected Rival...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith reflects on his time at Ohtori Academy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Really appreciating the encouraging comments. It's been great to see so many excellent fics posted!

"Do you actually think this will work?"

I looked up from the book that Mary Hunt and Sophia Ascart had presented to me, an old but well-preserved tome they had dug out of the school library. I did want to believe them, but what they were describing seemed unlikely and incredible, and that was before considering the complicating factor...

"...I mean, this is my nee-san we're talking about. I don't know that any magic is powerful enough to do THAT," I sighed, unable to keep down the reluctant smile. Even when she frustrated me most, Katarina had a way of making me smile just to think about her.

"The most amazing feats of magic," Sophia said quietly, in a tone like she was reciting right from a schoolbook, "can be accomplished when multiple elements are combined."

Mary nodded, leaning in to give me a firm look. Her gloved hand jabbed down, pointing at several passages that I'd already skimmed. By any objective measure, Mary Hunt was the most classically beautiful of our social circle, and favored a cut of dress that pushed the bounds of modesty and propriety. If I didn't know better, I might think that her current pose was intended to persuade me to see her point in a less subtle and logical fashion, but... again, objectively, Mary was the most beautiful. As far as either she or I were concerned, however, there was only one person either of us hoped to impress. The person Mary wore those dresses for. The person I loved with all my heart, and longed to spend every moment with.

My adoptive sister, Katarina Claes.

"Look here," she pointed at a part I'd already been through. "By combining our magic, we can get it done, but," her finger ran across to the other page, to a bullet point that she tapped firmly, "earth magic is required to set the stage. To make it tangible."

"And the only other earth wielder we know..." Sophia piped up.

"...is hopeless," all of us said at the same time, causing a round of laughs.

I ran my hand through my hair, trying to think. It seemed too good to be true, but I had to admit it looked like the girls had done their homework. Of course, their diligence did bring another concern to mind. My eyes narrowed as I locked gaze with first Sophia, who looked earnest, and then Mary, who... well, after Geordo, Mary certainly constituted the most overt threat. I cleared my throat.

"We'd have to agree to certain ground rules..." I began.

~~~

I had never been much for Katarina's romance novels, they all seemed geared toward my rivals in some way, be it princes, or romances between two girls, or that one that made her think of Nicol, but even still, I didn't think the fantastical school that we had come to could have been drawn out of any of them. Ohtori Academy was easily twice the size of the magic academy in the Kingdom of Sorcier, a cluster of stately white buildings adorned with swirling asymmetrical rose patterns, all built around the chairman's tower, where the student council would convene. I was a member of the student council, I somehow realized - memories not born from my own thoughts fluttered in and out, feeding me information about the world around me. I had certainly been cast in a suitable role; the handsome white-and-blue outfit did remind me a bit too much of Geordo, but I couldn't argue with taking on a resemblance to Katarina's fiancée.

...who, my new memories told me, was STILL Katarina's fiancée, even in this setting, although... well, perhaps this was more of a romance novel than I had expected. The student council would duel one another for the privilege of being engaged - Engaged, rather - to Katarina, our Rose Bride, supposedly the key to something mysterious, wonderful, shining...

I blushed as I considered how true that would be, if I were the one Engaged to Katarina, if she could see me as more than just the foundling adopted into the Claes household. This would be my chance, once Geordo was defeated. However...

We had convened on an elegant balcony halfway up the chairman's tower, called by the memories that didn't belong to us. This was the student council's private retreat, where we could discuss Katarina undisturbed. Nicol, dressed all in white with red and gold trim (an unusual look for him), held up the letter that had been addressed to us. On it was written the following:

"None of you may issue the next challenge."

A vein danced in my forehead as my gaze slipped over to Geordo, dressed in princely white & green, looking openly smug. "Well well, I guess that settles it. You have Katarina's true feelings at last. I trust," his eyes opened to shoot daggers at the rest of us, even while his smile never moved an inch, "that this settles the matter of our Engagement."

"I don't see why we have to follow what this letter says," I said irritably, clicking a strange device I'd found in my pocket. The numbers on its face seemed to indicate the passage of time, not unlike a clock might. Even as I said it, however, flickering memories told me that the letters must be obeyed, that they served as terms of the contract of the dueling game. My brow furrowed in concern; if I defied the rules and challenged Geordo, would I somehow be disqualified? I couldn't chance that.

"For the revolution of the world," Nicol muttered. "I understand your feelings, everyone," Sophia was squeezing his arm tightly, wearing her hair in an unfamiliar style, "but we're still new to this and the rules have to be observed carefully for the time being." It was the most I've ever heard him speak at once. If he was taking it this seriously... I nodded, resolved to do so as well, for the time being.

As we were leaving, I felt Geordo's hand on my shoulder.

"Yes, Geordo-sama?"

He looked pensive. "The memories... you play piano, in this world?"

They flickered through my mind as well, memories in a haze, a brother and sister playing piano together. It reminded me of all the times when it was just Katarina and I, without our friends - my rivals - interfering. I smiled softly at that. "Yes, apparently I do, why?"

Geordo's eyes betrayed a bit of concern. "I would have expected Alan..."

"Where is your brother, anyway?"

The third prince tilted his head down, his eyes shadowed so I couldn't read them. "I'm sure he will turn up," he said quietly, walking into the elevator. I let him take it, so I could be alone with my thoughts.

The next morning, Geordo stormed up to me, not a trace of a smile, at the foot of the student council's elevator.

"Did you ask her to do that?" he all but growled. I was a bit concerned - I'd never seen the prince lose his composure in this way.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I told him honestly. "Ask who?"

"Your sister..." he sighed, going silent as we rode up together to meet the others. Their faces told me all I needed to know - the slight blush on Maria's features, Geordo's obvious dismay... Sophia's face was unreadable, though her eyes had gone distant the way they sometimes did when she and Katarina talked about their favorite novels. Maybe she knew something about this story that we did not?

"You lost your duel," it clicked into place. Did I say that out loud? I reddened as I covered my mouth in embarrassment - and to conceal my smile. I shouldn't have said that; blurting out my thoughts was much more Katarina's style, but it felt so refreshing and honest - and just a bit enjoyable. "But... hang on, Campbell-san, you weren't allowed to challenge him!"

Her eyes widened and she clutched her hands together nervously, looking at the ground. "Claes-sama, I... your sister chose to issue the challenge on my behalf."

She what? I didn't know what my face was doing in that moment, or just how low my jaw was hanging, but I'm sure Geordo's head was hanging lower. Our meeting continued after that, but the rest of it was little more than a haze to me. Katarina had broken off her own Engagement? I couldn't believe it... such a bold step, and in one stroke my greatest and longest rival was cast down! Only...

...I felt the cold fingers of panic stealing into my heart. Katarina had issued the challenge on Maria's behalf. Why hadn't she picked someone closer to her, someone who would have loved to fight for her honor?

Why hadn't I seen her yet?

The black veil of doubt started to close in on me, and haunted me through the next few days. It was the memories that led me there, the flickering shadows of a happier time playing piano. I had picked up the rudiments with Katarina in our youth, and we had enjoyed playing together, but as we grew up other interests predominated, and of course Prince Alan's flourishing skills made anyone else's efforts worse than redundant. Still, if he wasn't here... I went to the music room, hoping with a bit of practice I might recapture the fond memories of that shining time when the two of us would just spend hours together, playing piano or doing any number of other things, many of them unseemly for noble children, all of those instigated by my wild and wonderful nee-san. To my surprise, the keys yielded music at my touch, a melody more graceful and complex than I remembered being able to play. Some trace of this character's skill must have passed over to me, and before I realized it, Maria Campbell had followed the music to me. I stood to great her.

"Claes-sama, you play so wonderfully," she told me earnestly. Despite the fact that she was a rival - technically THE rival, at this time, as the Engaged - I still colored slightly at her praise. I understood why my sister liked her so; in her own way, Maria was as refreshing a presence as Katarina.

"It's nothing, really," I mumbled, but she was staring at the instrument with fascination.

"We didn't have anything like this in my village," she said quietly. "It would have been too expensive."

I often forgot, with her incredible ability and aptitudes, that Maria Campbell came from such humble means.

"How does it work?"

"Hm? Oh, you just press the keys."

"Yes, but... how does that simple touch... create so much beauty?" Ah. I understood. She wanted to know the mechanics behind it. She really was admirable in her desire to learn and grow. I sat back down, motioning her to come over and look inside the case at the harp and hammers within.

"When I press the key, it pushes the hammer inside, like this," I demonstrated, causing the mechanism to deliver a note. "The hammer strikes the strings, which vibrate, like a harp or lute or guitar might."

I played a bit of the melody to show her more, when all of a sudden Katarina burst in, introducing herself as though we'd never met. I shot a worried look at Maria, who shook her head ever so slightly. Katarina in this world didn't know us, apparently. Suddenly the unraveling of her and Geordo made a good deal more sense. If she didn't know... as she mentioned that she was the Rose Bride, my mind began racing, hopes flaring anew, thoughts drifting to an intimate place that made me blush pink. Maybe there was a real chance after all!

When she suggested she join the student council meetings, however, I panicked and quickly shut the idea down. As much as I would love more opportunities to spend time with her - and I did tell her so - I was worried it would result in more time with my rivals. Not to mention our discussions would suffer if we had to concern ourselves with what my nee-san currently knew about this world. The risks were too great. Her gaze drifted - had I offended her? I panicked again.

"Uh... Katarina-san, would you care to join me in a duet?" I offered lamely, the only thing I could think of in the moment to show I wanted to be in her company. I had to repeat myself, but she snapped out of her reverie and sat next to me, causing our legs to brush slightly. I was sure my blush would set the piano aflame, but thankfully neither she nor Maria seemed to notice. As we played, the music seemed more full and meaningful than it had when I played alone, almost like how Alan-sama would coax rich emotion out of the same keys that my nee-san and I were clumsily striking. It brought me back to the brightest moments of our childhood together, those shining days when it was just the two of us, and the flickering memories of this world echoed the memories of our time growing up.

"I found what was missing," I mumbled to myself. "My 'shining thing'." Katarina gave me a strange look, the face she makes when she's puzzling through something.

The face she makes when drawing wrong conclusions.

I should have asked her then, but when she invited herself and Maria to join me for tomorrow, I couldn't frame a response other than a yes.

The next morning, Mary Hunt came to visit me in the music room.

"Your playing, it reminds me a bit of Alan-sama's," she said kindly, leaning into the room. 

I waved a hand aimlessly. "I appreciate the sentiment, Mary-san, but he could play better than me with his eyes closed." I paused, thinking. "Have you seen him, by the way?"

She shook her head, a tiny smile on her face. "Not yet. Perhaps he won't be joining the duels."

"Will you?" I asked her. "Only you're not exactly..." I flushed bright pink and looked anywhere but at her tremendously immodest skirt and the bare ankles and calves beneath, "uh... dressed for it."

She laughed softly. "I wonder if that's the best way. Geordo has dueled now. Twice." Yes, that was true - I knew that from the student council meetings, though it had slipped my mind in my dark mood. "Look where he's ended up. I don't think he's come out of his room in the past two days."

"Is there an alternative, then?" I raised my eyebrow skeptically at her, not about to let my now-greatest threat fluster me. She responded by taking out a rose-sealed letter and placing it gently on top of the piano.

"Not for you," she said quietly. "You studied fencing growing up, yes?" I nodded. "You should be able to beat Maria-san, then."

I ignored the letter. "Maybe I just don't challenge her at all. I could tell Katarina the truth about how I feel, and as long as I don't issue a challenge, none of you can, either."

Mary shook her head, brown locks shimmering in the light, and clucked her tongue at me. Her voice sounded like she was teasing me, like she knew something I didn't.

"Oh Keith-san... I really don't think you could. If you'd like to try, though, she's in the garden right now..."

I bolted off without a second's hesitation.

At the greenhouse, however, I grew nervous instantly. I could see Katarina inside, the love of my life, framed in some kind of surreal irony by this brilliant glass dome barred like a birdcage. The most free spirit I had ever known or hoped to know, spending her time in a cage. When I entered, however, I was greeted with roses of every hue and shade, a far cry from the vegetables Katarina had favored in Sorcier. This was the proper garden of a noble lady. 

"This really is a beautiful garden," I marveled quietly. Katarina turned, warming my heart with her smile, and I nearly said something I shouldn't about her life in Sorcier, catching myself just in time. She asked about my sister, though. Wait... did she... had we assumed incorrectly? But no... as she explained she'd heard about me, the flickering memories reminded me that my character also had a sister of similar age. What an awful coincidence. Perhaps the duel would be my only recourse after all! Only - was she seriously suggesting...

"If you and Maria can make it work, I would love that."

I couldn't even imagine how red I must have been at that moment. "You would?" Were we supposed to... share...? No, the idea seemed too wild even for my unpredictable and improper nee-san to have come up with, even as this immodest character. Nonetheless, my hope overwhelmed my sense of propriety, and before I realized it, I had invited her to the music room. What would I even say with her there?

...what would I even say with Maria Campbell there, too? Why was she also here? Of course, Katarina had invited her, and didn't realize I wasn't hoping to play more music with her. I sighed inwardly. Of course my dense nee-san would interpret it this way. We played a few pieces, and then I let her play alone so I could speak privately to Maria about Katarina's indecent proposal.

"Campbell-san," Keith said softly, "do you think it would be okay if it was just the two of us, next time?" Her eyes went wide, but the shake of her head killed the faint hope that such an idea would be worthwhile. 

"I'm sorry, Claes-sama, but I am the Engaged now. You know what that means."

I did. The fluttering memories told me as much. Living with Katarina, just the Rose Bride and her Engaged. Spending time together. Unlocking the miraculous, shining secret of this world together. Being the knight in shining armor to the beautiful princess.

Maria Campbell had all of that - the shining memories of my past were now her present. I tried to argue, but it was weak and without heart - as she pointed out to me, I wouldn't give any of that up if I had any choice. It wasn't fair to ask that she did - that she shared with someone who didn't want to share. I felt childish, but that shining thing - if I could have it, I would want more, and more, and ultimately I would want all of Katarina's time and attention. 

I had picked a rose earlier; I didn't know why, but now my hand drifted into my pocket to retrieve it, as the words of the letter flashed in my mind, the missive from the mysterious "End of the World."

"Keith Claes, it is your turn to challenge the Engaged for the hand of the Rose Bride."

"I could never risk someone taking the light away from me," I told Maria honestly, locking my gaze with hers. I found my feelings reflected in her eyes - the two of us acknowledging the other's feelings for Katarina. I presented the rose - the ceremonial challenge.

The stairs, the endless stairs to the dueling arena, passed by in a blur, and that afternoon I squared off against Maria Campbell. Katarina came close to me to pin a blue rose on my lapel. I wanted to tell her right there, to admit everything, but before I could even open my mouth, she said something that derailed my focus entirely:

"I don't want to get in the way of your feelings."

What? What was that? Did she not want to be the recipient of my feelings? Was that what that meant? Or... did she still have that strange idea, even in this world, that I was supposed to be attracted to Maria Campbell? As I watched her go to her Engaged, and then begin GLOWING of all things, my heart stiffened painfully. A sword came out of her chest even as it felt like one had been plunged into mine. It was my fault for not telling her sooner. I would defeat Maria, and then, then I could make it all clear. I wanted to tell her that she wasn't in the way of my feelings, that she was the source, the shining thing that drove me forward in life. I wanted to exult in Geordo's failure, and to declare myself better than any other rival.

"I can't lose this opportunity to make my feelings known," I told Maria as we dueled. "I have always been one step behind, even though I've always been so close." She was engaged to Prince Geordo shortly before we met. She still saw me as just her little brother. Nothing I did or said seemed to get through. "My feelings have been invisible." Maybe this - 

"You can do it, Maria!"

I couldn't help myself - my head whipped to the side to look at my nee-san, stung by her casual betrayal, her support of friend over brother. That small moment was all that it took - my blue rose was scattered to the winds, and I fell to my knees in despair. If this wouldn't work either, what could I hope to do?

But then her arms wrapped around me, that familiar and comforting warmth, the smell I knew so well.

"I know how hard you find it to open up, Keith-san," she told me softly. "You'll find a way to make your feelings known to her someday."

I couldn't help but start tearing up. The door might still be open. I hadn't lost my last chance.

"I hope so, Katarina... I hope so..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well that went much longer than I originally planned. Hopefully the next one is more reasonable.


	12. I Made Curry For My Roommate...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katarina decides to share some Japanese cuisine with Maria.

I was glad that Maria and Keith had gotten their duel out of the way; they seemed much happier when we spent time together now, and I was seeing Keith more often overall. I did wish he would remember we were brother and sister, but I couldn't push any buttons until I got to the bottom of why we were all here in Ohtori.

I had been putting off investigating for a few reasons; of course, the whole transition had been overwhelming, but also we hadn't found all of our friends yet, and I was having fun living with Maria and not having to wear dresses and getting to explore the beautiful setting of the Utena anime. Everything looked like the kind of art I thought I would be good at - nothing was very symmetrical, all curls and whooshes that somehow came out to rose shapes. It helped to have friends around, and also...

..alright, also, I was a bit lazy, okay?

However, I didn't want to pass up this opportunity - in Sorcier, I hadn't known how to prepare food, and every attempt turned out pretty poorly. It's not my fault, honestly - the chefs at the Claes mansion would never let me in the kitchen! Maria had been so patient in trying to teach me, but I would get overexcited about adding sugar, or impatient for dough to rise, or try to increase the heat in the oven to bake things faster, and it would always turn out the same way: misshapen lumps of soot that I wouldn't even feed to a dog - and it's not like I like dogs all that much!

This, though... with ingredients I knew, and memories of my mother's cooking in my first life, I knew I could prepare curry & rice. It was one of my favorite dishes growing up, and I wanted to share it with Maria. She cooks so often for me, and I've never gotten to feed her even once! Today would be different, I resolved, collecting the ingredients. I avoided the crazy genie's lamp full of extra spicy curry powder, using only things I knew I could trust. I was really hoping that this dish would let me connect with Maria more - we had been spending so much time together here, even more than we saw each other at the magic academy, and she was truly just the most lovely person.

But she still wouldn't tell me who she liked!

I turned it over in my mind as I worked on the curry. There had been some moments with Sophia, where I had thought maybe Maria was into girls. That would be pretty good. I mean, neither Mary nor Sophia were doom routes in the original, although if Sophia is Nanami then I might still have to watch for a duel challenge from her at some point... then there was Keith, and I was sure I had figured that out, but he told me he's in love with someone else. I wonder if it's whoever his sister is! They did have a kind of scandalous tension in the show, but... I haven't seen her yet. I wonder if she's even someone we know? Then there was Geordo - he finally came out of his room and started participating in life again! I don't think it's those two, though, since he's always quick to say something polite and then leave whenever Maria is around. Maybe he's embarrassed - is he playing the Alan role from Fortune Lover, seeing Maria as a rival for beating him? That would be funny... or maybe... could they be having a secret romance? Hidden even from Maria's close friend and devoted roommate, who only wants to see her life filled with joy?

"How dare they!" I declared, pounding my fist in my other hand. "Except..." Except while I wouldn't put such scheming past Geordo, Maria was far too nice a girl for that. I trusted her implicitly, which also ruled out Alan since we hadn't found him yet. Ugh! Nicol, maybe? My brain wanted to quit. I just wanted to get inside her head to understand how she truly felt, instead of having her answer every time by telling me how much she loves and appreciates me. It makes me so happy that she's such a beloved friend, but I can't detect doom flags with that kind of information!

Maria arrived in the cooking room just as the sauce was cooling, and my heart immediately felt lighter. I could finally share something of my old life with someone, and with one of my most precious friends, no less!

"Maria! You're just in time! I want you to try this." She looked politely skeptical. "No no, honest! I know how to do this," my grin went from ear to ear as I sheepishly flashed back to the last time she tried my cooking. "So easy even I can't mess it up!"

"What is it?" she took a spoon and sat down as I dished up white rice and poured over a ladle of curry.

"This is curry and rice. Be careful," I warned as she took some up in a spoon, "it's spicier than the food -" from Sorcier? No, can't say that. "- you're probably used to," I ended lamely. "What I mean is, it's got a real kick to it!" I gathered some into my own spoon and shared a grin with my smiling blonde roommate.

"Shall we try it together?"

"Of course!"

***BOOM***

~~~

The council chamber was filled with smoke. A gavel struck the floor, a bit unsteadily.

"Chairman Claes-sama?"

"P-present! Do you have my gavel?"

"I can't see without my glasses..."

"Hooray! Clouds!"

"W-was Katarina just killed again?"

"No..." the smoke began to roll out, "but..."

~~~

I woke up in the infirmary, holding my head. It didn't ache too badly, but I still felt a little dizzy and my balance was off. My body felt light, especially my head. There was a cup of water next to me, and I drank from it. Wherever I was, there was a full-body mirror right next to me, though my eyes were playing tricks on me - mirror-me wasn't moving quite the same way. Not my problem, I decided; I was feeling too woozy for mirrors. I looked the other way to find Keith standing there, looking concerned.

"Campbell-san! Are you okay?"

It was rude of him to be looking at me and talking to her. If he was attracted to Maria, he had picked a terrible way of showing it.

"I'm feeling alright, Claes-sama, thank you for asking!" a familiar voice said.

"I'm glad you're okay, Kat- uh, Claes-san," he said. I tried to stand, and he caught my hand as I did, getting my feet under me. Was he always this tall? He really was handsome up close like this, but I could swear he grew an inch or two.

"Where's Maria?" I asked him, and he looked at me like I had turned into a lizard.

"...are you sure you should be standing, Campbell-san?"

Oh no! What was happening to her? I looked around, seeing myself in the mirror. Why was I still lying in bed in the mirror? I was definitely standing.

...

Oh.

Oh that explains all of it. Makes much more sense.

Wait, WHAT?

~~~

"Ahem!" the gavel banged on the redecorated table. "This meeting of the, uh... the Katarina Council shall now come to order. I think."

"We look so pretty!" Happy Katarina twirled her blonde locks, dancing beside the table.

"This is most unusual," Scholar Katarina pushed up her glasses, which seemed too big for her face.

"D-did we do something terrible to Maria?" Spineless Katarina looked paralyzed by fear, a flower ornament slipping as she buried her head in her knees.

"I bet I get to swordfight someone NOW," Fearless Katarina boasted, wearing a bright red dress.

~~~

"Is this going to be okay, Katarina-sama?" Maria fretted as we walked. She was blushing deeply. I patted her on the shoulder reassuringly.

"I'm sure it's just something that happens... sometimes... around here..." I tried to project confidence. "It will sort itself out. We just need to get to the bottom of what happened."

I flashed her a smile and she returned it. She made it look beautiful, somehow, even with that face. Which reminded me - we needed to let the others know, before -

"KATARINA-SAMAAAA!!!"

Mary Hunt launched herself through the air, latching onto Katarina Claes's body and nuzzling her head in. "I was so worried about you, my beloved Katarina-sama! I'm so happy you...'re al... right?"

Katarina Claes sank to the ground, unused to carrying the weight of herself and Mary together at the same time. Or at least, that's what it would have looked like to everyone. Maria Campbell reached down to help Mary off of Katarina Claes's body.

"Mary..." I paused. How could I put this? "Something odd happened earlier today..."

She gave me an accusing look. "What did you do to my Katarina-sama?"

"Mary-san," came a soft voice from the ground. "I think you have us confused for one another."

"What?"

I helped Katarina Claes's body stand up, sighing as I tried to figure out how to explain. "Mary... somehow, Maria and I..."

"We've switched bodies," Katarina's voice was quiet when Maria talked using it.

"What?"

"I'm Katarina. Maria is in there." I pointed at my body - Katarina Claes's body, where Maria's mind was.

"...what?"

Her eyes went from skeptical, to wide, to... TEARY? Oh no, Mary, why are you crying???

She turned and started hitting Maria-in-Katarina's body lightly with her fist as she sobbed uncontrollably. "How could you leave me out of this? I wanted a chance to connect with you in this way?" Maria gave me a "please help" look, clearly unsure what to do. I grabbed Mary's arm and pulled her away from my body, sighing again. It was clear she still wasn't totally up to speed on what was happening.

"Try not to bruise my body, Mary. Hoping to get back in there some day."

"Oh..." she blinked, eyes still full of tears. "Right..."

Then she threw herself at Me-in-Maria's body, sobbing and hitting. "Hey hey!" I protested, "I'm only borrowing this body! Be gentle!"

"Gentle..." her eyes looked at mine, sparkling. "Yes... let's be gentle together, Katarina-sama!"

"Ahem..." Maria made a soft noise with her throat, and Mary's eyes went wide again. Her head whipped back and forth, looking between us. Finally, she sighed.

"Well... this has become so much more awkward," she said flatly.

What followed for the next few hours, I would have to apologize to Maria for... it was surely the worst few hours of schooling that 'Maria Campbell' has ever put in. Of course, I would bet it was the best few hours 'Katarina Claes' has ever produced as a student. We caught up with Mary and Keith after class in the school cafeteria, where I faced my greatest challenge to date. It was a monumental ordeal, and it took all of my resolve to -

"Um... Katarina-sama?"

I looked at Maria. Huh, I didn't realize my villainess face could look that gentle. It was definitely the same sharp, malicious eyes... the same large forehead, arched eyebrows, but the expression was somehow so delicate. How is Maria adorable even when she's cursed to look like such an evil witch?

"If you want to have a few sweets, it's okay... I do eat sweets myself, you know."

She had seen right through me. Keith shot her a warning look and even Mary looked panicked, but I was determined to be a good guest in Maria's body. I would only have one cookie.

Alright, two. I would just eat them slowly.

...

"Mary... could you please... take that plate away from me?" I whispered to her five minutes after the second cookie was nothing more than a distant memory. I was proud of my self-restraint, but honestly, I couldn't be ashamed about needing help in the moment.

They were all looking at me - oh no! What had I tuned out? Katarina - I mean Maria - was looking thoughtful.

"It happened right as we were tasting Katarina-sama's cooking," she was telling them. Keith shook his head in exasperation, shooting me a flat look.

"Are you really that bad a cook, Claes-san?"

I wanted to tell him he should try making curry in a magical school after being transported there with his friends under mysterious circumstances, but we had bigger issues in the moment: Geordo had arrived. Uh oh... had we told him?

"Excuse me, everyone. I would like to talk with Katarina." I stood, but he turned and faced me with a smile that could freeze the sun. "Excuse me, Campbell-san, but I think you can spare her for just a few minutes, certainly?"

"That's not - " I protested, but the temperature around us dropped another few degrees. I looked nervously at Maria as Geordo took her - my - hand and led her away. She shot back a look of confusion.

"I hope she's a good actress..." I sighed, feeling embarrassed for the both of them. "Would he even have believed us?"

"I doubt it," Keith sipped his tea, which somehow looked like he was hiding a smile. Mary definitely wasn't hiding hers as she cuddled my arm, though she seemed to catch herself and sat up suddenly, eyes widening.

"Do we know how to fix this?" she asked, her voice sounding a bit panicked.

I shrugged, smoothing the leggings Maria's body wore. "It can wait until tomorrow, I'm sure." Mary's face reddened and she stood up, looking highly decisive.

"No it cannot! Keith, come with me, we have to find out what caused this right now!"

"But I'm still having tea!" Mary leaned in and whispered something to him, causing his face to go bright pink. He leapt up, knocking the table and spilling his tea.

"She's absolutely right! There's not a moment to lose!" They ran off to do... something. I couldn't see what their problem was. I had a much bigger problem, anyway...

Nobody was guarding the sweets!

Balling my fists and clenching my eyes shut, I stood up and ran past the table as fast as I could. I owed it to Maria to treat her stomach better than I would treat mine.

~~~

The five Marias sat around the table, still dressed as Katarina. Chairman Katarina-Maria gaveled in the session.

"The curry incident also took place in the anime," Scholar Katarina-Maria put the scene up on the screen. "In this episode, it was believed to be a result of Nanami's super-spicy curry powder."

"But we didn't use any of that," Spineless Katarina-Maria fidgeted. "We didn't want to make it too spicy for Maria."

"It wasn't used in the show, either," the screen proceeded to show the ending, revealing Anthy had never used any secret ingredient. "It appears to have been a one-off magical incident?"

"So it will fix itself!" Happy Katarina-Maria was fascinated by the blonde hair, twirling it in her fingers. "And until then, we have really pretty hair!"

"It may fix itself," Fearless Katarina-Maria declared, standing on her chair and putting a foot on the table, sword raised high, "but we can't leave Maria stuck in the body of a villainess. Tomorrow we must work to resolve the issue!"

"Nobody deserves to be cursed like that," Spineless Katarina-Maria agreed in a small, sad voice. The Chairman nodded, moustache even more incongruous on Maria's delicate features.

"All agreed? Tomorrow we will search for a cure!"

"Agreed!"

~~~

There was only one problem with waiting for tomorrow, though, which we didn't figure out until it got late.

"Um... Katarina-sama?" I looked up, realizing I'd been gazing into a mirror and playing with a strand of beautiful silky blonde hair. I wasn't sure how long I had been zoned out. I looked over to see Maria holding my nightgown and blushing.

Oh.

OH.

I looked down, suddenly very conscious that this was not my body.

"Um... right! We should get ready for bed." I walked to her closet to find her nightgown. When I turned back, she was still standing there, face pink. "Um... Maria, did you need me to give you some privacy?"

She fidgeted, looking down at the ground. "It's only... this isn't really my body. I wouldn't feel comfortable..."

"Right!" Oh no... I couldn't change myself either, thinking about it. I had no right to expose someone else's body, even if I happened to be borrowing it by accident. I would be so ashamed to have Maria looking at me without my clothes, and I knew she wouldn't like me looking at... all of her. So how would we... uhh...

"I guess..." I said in a strained voice, "we... help each other?"

Katarina's face turned scarlet-red as Maria nodded, not looking at me. I stepped close to undo the jacket buttons, revealing an athletic top underneath, as Maria looked up at the ceiling and closed her eyes tight, like she was preparing to get hit with a bucket of cold water.

"I need your arm," I told her softly, awkwardly, and she extended it so I could pull it out of the sleeve. Huh. I never really realized it, but I have a bit of muscle on those arms. I'm kind of lean, actually. I always worried about putting on weight due to my diet, but as I worked on disrobing my own body, I couldn't help but realize that I had a more toned figure than I realized. I could see a bit of definition in Katarina's abs when Maria tensed at my touch. Her soft expression, shifting like she was being tickled as I went about my work, made Katarina's sharp features look... I don't know, it must have been a trick of the light. Katarina's face is sharp and harsh, not pretty, but it was kind of astonishing to see the face I knew better than any other looking so... why were my cheeks getting so hot? Was I really getting flustered from checking myself out?

Of course. What a villainess I am. I'm even narcissistic. I sighed; I had thought I was doing so well with being less villainous, but here I was, seriously considering the idea that something about Katarina's cruel features was worth staring at. I coaxed Maria into unfolding her arms from her - my - chest so that I could remove her bra and get her arms into the sleeves, though as she did, I looked away.

Why? a small voice in my head asked. It was nothing I hadn't seen before. It was my body. My arms, my shoulders, my chest, my back...

So why does it mean something different when it's Maria?

Of course, once she was settled, it was my turn, and if I thought it was bad to be the one helping, being the one getting undressed was so much worse. Maria kept apologizing every time her hands accidentally brushed my skin, and although I wanted to joke that it was no problem, that it was her body, it also... wasn't, somehow. I felt this weird prickling up and down my spine, eyes tightly closed to preserve Maria's privacy. It didn't help - it just made me more aware of the body I was using, the sensations becoming more electric, the electricity making me feel hot and flushed. Maria's body was slightly shorter than mine. Smaller in places. Slender rather than lean. Even my body temperature felt a bit lower - outside of my face, burning with embarrassment and awkardness - with Katarina's hands feeling hot every time our skin brushed. I was too aware of things I shouldn't be, anticipating her movements around me to get my arms into the nightgown. I tensed, feeling like I wasn't allowed to relax into the sensation, like it would cross some kind of line.

Finally, the job was done. I jumped up hurriedly, getting some space to catch my breath. I didn't realize I'd been holding it.

"M-maybe we can skip showers tomorrow," I suggested, all too conscious of how much worse that could be. "I still feel very clean."

"So do I! I just need to do my hair," Maria said, looking fascinated with the large brown mass of hair she had to deal with. Katarina does have considerably more hair, though I still thought Maria's was prettier. I caught myself twirling a strand again and quickly pulled my hand down. I looked at her, motionless, slightly pink in the face, staring at the hair like she didn't know what to do.

Oh. Of course. It really is too much to handle alone. I never had to - Anne always did it for me. Poor Maria wouldn't even know where to start.

"I can brush it out for you, if you'd like."

"Y-yes, please. I would like that very much." I smiled and had her sit, taking out the hair ornament so all of the long, flowing hair cascaded down around her face and back. The few occasions where I did anything with it myself, I would usually just whack at it with a brush to get a tangle out, which would always throw Anne into a tizzy. I couldn't be that rough with Maria, though, so I carefully took up a section in my left hand, holding it so that none of the strands would pull at her scalp when I ran the brush through.

"Katarina-sama is so gentle..." she whispered after several minutes of this. I felt my cheeks getting pink again, glad to be getting praised for doing something right.

"How was it with Geordo?" I asked, shifting awkwardly. In this light, the hair looked more graceful than I remembered - I always imagined it like some wicked queen's train, a sweeping status symbol fanning behind me, swaying with menace and giving me a more intimidating silhouette - but there I was being narcissistic again.

"Oh..." she laughed softly. "I should not have gone with him, Katarina-sama. I apologize."

I laughed. "No no, that was his fault. Did he reveal his true feelings to the wrong person, then?" I bet he did. I bet he confessed his feelings for Maria, not knowing it was her.

"How did you know?" she looked back at me. I laughed even more at that. Maria had gotten good at teasing.

"I hope you told him he has to try harder," I teased back. She giggled at that. I continued brushing, feeling happy to be doing this with a friend again. I missed Anne, but the hurt felt smaller with Maria so close. We switched places so she could brush out her own hair, since I didn't know how she normally treated it. I looked in the mirror as she worked, seeing the same beautiful heroine face I'd come to know and love. For tonight, at least, that was me - though the expression on it, at least, was all mine. I loved this face... the girl it belonged to was so kind and caring... why couldn't that have been me? I had been so plain, in my first life, that I didn't ever think of my appearance, and in my second life I was this mean witch-faced girl. A different hurt was blooming, an old wound given new life by these narcissistic villainess thoughts of mine.

"Katarina-sama?" I looked up. "Is something wrong?" The face in the mirror looked lost in thought, a bit sad, even. Was I sad? What was I thinking about?

"Maria... um..." my voice got small. I was ashamed to ask. I had never asked anyone. I always knew the answer, was afraid they would confirm it and out me as a villainess beyond salvation, but... Maria was making me question what I believed.

"Am I... pretty?"

The brush stopped moving and was set aside. Two gentle hands rested on my shoulders, so gingerly it seemed she was afraid to break me. Her voice was a whisper.

"You are the most beautiful person I know," she breathed.

My fingers twitched, then balled into fists in my lap. She was just being nice. I had a wicked, villainous face. I was a wild monkey. I was unladylike. I was scarred. I was being complimented out of politeness, because Mary and Sophia outshone me, and then because I was with Maria and people felt the need to defer to my status. I was blinking, frustrated, something irritating my eyes. They were wet. My mouth was quivering, like I had to deny what she had said. I had to take back that I had ever asked. It didn't matter that she said I was beautiful.

I didn't believe her. I couldn't believe her. I was reaching up to hold her hand, our fingers touching, a reassuring squeeze that I didn't deserve. She was the heroine. She was wonderful. I was crying.

Strong arms wrapped around me from behind in a firm hug, fingers still entwined. A pleasant smell. A kind voice. "Please don't cry, Katarina-sama."

I wiped Maria's face dry with my free hand, slipping the other one loose. I couldn't be beautiful, but... Maria was a harem protagonist, after all, and doomed to be dense. She was allowed to believe it, if she was wrong. I smiled, happy to have figured it out. It's because Maria is so nice, she even sees me as a beautiful person. How foolish my wonderful friend is, and the tears... well, I was in Maria's body. She cries over silly things all the time. Her arms slipped away as I stood, turning so fast we nearly bumped noses. I forgot she was so close. I ducked around her to curl up in the lower bunk, getting under the covers and turning away so she couldn't see my - her - face. Maybe in the morning.

"Goodnight, Katarina," I joked half-heartedly.

"Goodnight, Maria."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this one needed a beta read and took a bit more to write. I hope it was worth the wait.


	13. I Discovered A Love Triangle (Maybe)...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katarina sees a friend in a whole new light.

I woke up the next morning, hitting my head on the ceiling, to the sound of frantic knocking on our door. What time was it? Blearily, I slid down the ladder and walked OH HEY!

I was me again!

"We did it!" I cheered to Maria, stirring in the lower bunk. She gave me a loose smile as she got up to start the day. I went over to answer the door.

Keith and Mary were standing there, holding... was that a pot of curry? I sniffed. It smelled tasty. But why did they...?

"Oh... good morning, you two. What are you doing here so early?" My stomach rumbled.

Keith blinked. "Uh... nee-" he yelped and cut off as Mary's smile widened. "Right, uh, Claes-san, are you back to being yourself?"

"Yup!" I beamed. "Just woke up like this! Is that curry for me?"

"NO!!!" they both shouted as Keith whipped it away. Sheesh. I know he's not technically my brother in this world but why is he being so rude? Who brings food over to someone else's dorm room and doesn't share? I had half a mind to as him - but then Mary tackled me.

"Ohh Katarina-samaaaaa! I'm so glad to see you back to your old self!" She was squeezing me a bit too tightly - I had to tap her on the back a few times to get her to loosen her grip. Keith was blushing behind her. What was his... oh. Right.

Maria was behind me in her nightgown.

"Girls only!" I teased as I slammed the door on him. Alright, yes, that was a bit rude too, but he started it. The sigh from the other side of the door made it all worthwhile.

"Good morning, Mary-san," Maria greeted politely. Oww... 

"Mary, you're squeezing a bit tight again..." I squeaked out. She let up... a little. Wow, she really must have been worried about us.

"Good morning, Maria-san," came a surprisingly frosty reply. Was I just imagining that tone? "I hope you had a quiet evening as you put that strange event behind you."

I couldn't read Maria's look, but I was already putting the pieces together. I knew the tone of voice very well. Mary had wanted Maria out of the picture longer by keeping her trapped in this villainess body, hadn't she? Which she would only want if...

"Mary," I taunted slyly, "I think you're in love with someone,"

Maria's eyes went wide as Mary blushed bright red. Her hand went to her chest as she gasped, and Maria ran behind her with a chair just in time. My poor best friend looked up at me like she'd seen a ghost, though her strong emotion was clear - she was practically glowing the way they do in anime!

"Can you really tell that, Katarina-sama?"

Bullseye! "It's only to the trained eye like mine. Rest assured, your secret is safe with us. Right Maria?" I looked over at the blonde, who gave a slow nod. "There! And we promise not to get in the way of your love." I slid down into a backwards chair, putting my hands and chin on the backrest and leaning in close. My best friend was in love! I had to wonder, though... would it cause problems with Alan-sama if she did fall in love with someone else? Maybe it would just be a thing in this world... which I still had to figure out more on... but for the moment there was a much bigger mystery to pry open! "So, tell us... who is it?"

Mary looked struck dumb. A sound like "...ekk..." was the only noise she made. Maria offered her tea, which she picked up to sip while looking away. I could have sworn I heard her mutter something.

"...only you could still not see it..."

I didn't think I was supposed to hear that, so I pretended like I hadn't, but... well, hold on... why had she been here this morning with Keith and his rude private curry? It was awfully early, and I wasn't aware that the two of them spent much time together normally. Was he the secret crush?

~~~

"We wouldn't have to worry about Keith's doom flag if he had a different love interest," Spineless Katarina looked oddly happy for once.

"Would it complicate Alan's route in a way that might threaten Katarina, however?" the Chairman posed. "The Council will now hear opinions."

"Katarina's best friend and adopted brother, married and having beautiful babies! We could be an aunt!" The others looked at Happy Katarina, but it was Fearless Katarina who had spoken up, though her counterpart was happy to jump in.

"Would they have beautiful red-brown hair like Mary, or beautiful honey-gold hair like Keith? Ooh, or maybe natural highlights?"

"Hair color does not work that way," the glasses were pushed up as Scholar Katarina displayed a Punnett square on the screen. "You see this? This is a Punnett square. It tells us so."

"How?" Happy Katarina chirped.

"Uh..." the laser pointer function activated, pointing at sections of the square. "You see, this... is a square. And it's divided. Into these sections. Which means..." the laser pointer darted over to a wall, and Happy Katarina chased it gleefully.

The gavel banged. "This Council does not have the power to decide the hair color or pattern of Mary and Keith's beautiful future children," the Chairman intoned solemnly. "The question is, if Mary becomes unavailable, what will happen with Alan?"

"He could end up with Maria," Fearless Katarina pointed out. Across from her, Spineless Katarina went pale.

"If he gets the same end with a different overall route, though, couldn't that mean Katarina becomes a rival on that route?"

"Why would she?" Scholar Katarina pushed her glasses up. "Unlike Geordo and Keith, Alan-sama has no prior relationship with Katarina in the game. He's certainly never shown any interest in Katarina." The projector flicked away from the Punnett square to show scenes with Alan. "See, here he is challenging Katarina to climb trees because of how strongly he felt about Mary. Here he is playing a song that he wrote for his secret love, obviously Mary. Here he is inviting Katarina to dance on her birthday and paying her a compliment, because Mary is her best friend and he wants to be nice."

"No doom flag," the Chairman nodded. "Any further concerns?"

"Well..." Spineless Katarina fidgeted, "we still don't know where he is."

~~~

It was almost midday when I snapped out of my daydreaming. Maria looked up from her studies to smile at me. I blushed, realizing Mary must have left while I was zoned out. I was a bad friend sometimes, although that's to be expected from a villainess, I guess. I picked up a schoolbook, paging through it idly, but it wasn't really what I wanted to do at the moment. I wanted to get outside, do something with Maria, or see one of my other friends. The book made me think of Sophia. We hadn't gotten to spend much time together in Ohtori Academy, and I had the strangest feeling she would enjoy this setting more than the others, though I couldn't put my finger on why. Certainly all the rose motifs, the duels, they sounded like what we might find in our romance novels, only...

Oh! That was it. I slapped my book shut. "Maria, we should go down to the fencing club today!" I declared. She looked up, eyes widening slightly.

"Are you worried about another duel, Katarina-sama?"

"Of course!" I beamed. "I wouldn't want you to lose!" She was blushing a little bit. She's so adorable! "Come on, let's go!"

"R-right now?" she placed a bookmark and gently set her schoolbook aside.

"Why not? You never know when the next challenge will come! We have to sharpen your skills! We can practice posture, the way we did last time!"

Her blush grew deeper, probably remembering how much difficulty she had had with it last time. Maria was a brilliant learner, though; I was sure another session would sort it all out. 

It wasn't the best day for the fencing club, however - the room was packed as we arrived, a large crowd gathered to see two fencers dueling.

"They're incredible," Maria said quietly from next to me. I nodded silently. One of them, obviously a woman, was putting in a dominant show over the other, a man by the look of him. His form reminded me of a classical noble style, the way Keith and I had learned as children, but hers... the forms were familiar, informed by the same kind of moves that I had learned in sword training, but there was a fire and passion to them that made her sword's flow and flicker seem like an artistic performance. 

"Is that the fencing captain?" I heard someone near me ask. Another voice whispered back, "no, she's the deputy. The captain is out sick, he hasn't been to school in a while."

Well, whoever the captain was, he should start fearing for his job. This "deputy" fought like her life's goal could be found at the end of her blade.

My eyes widened as I realized who I was seeing. This person must be Juri Arisugawa, or whoever had taken on her role in this world.

~~~

"What do we know about Juri Arisugawa?"

"Beautiful, talented, and unbeatable. She only loses by accident when she duels Utena." The glasses pushed up as the projector snapped on. "Her character is in love with a friend from her youth, who thinks Juri is attracted to a boy they both know, and who dates him in turn in an effort to keep him away from Juri. The secret of her love is in a locket she wears."

"It's so sad," Happy Katarina sobbed through a fountain of tears.

"Hey, wait!" Fearless Katarina pulled her dress away from the expanding puddle. "Aren't you supposed to be happy?"

"I am h-h-happy..." Happy Katarina blubbered through the tears. "I love sad stories!"

Spineless Katarina climbed up gingerly on the table as the water rose around the Council. "If Juri is unbeatable, then don't we risk ending up having to go with whoever it is, if Maria loses?"

"Yes - a potential doom flag," Scholar Katarina pinched the bridge of her nose as she pondered. "Unfortunately, Katarina doesn't get miracles, and without a miracle, how can Maria hope to win?"

"We have to have faith in her!" Happy Katarina hopped up on the table, tears already gone as she raised a fist.

"That's my line..." Fearless Katarina muttered, jumping up as well.

"I-if that's the only choice..." Spineless Katarina, already on the table, gave in and raised a tremulous fist to join the other two.

The gavel banged. "Most indecorous," the Chairman scolded them, climbing up. "But as quorum has been met on the table, it is incumbent on me as Chairman to join the Council there."

"None of this makes sense!" the lone holdout protested. "Yes, Maria is an amazing person, but faith can't bring about a miracle to save Katarina, even if it is for Maria!"

The four Katarinas on the table looked at Scholar Katarina.

A couple of minutes later, the gavel banged. "Our chosen strategy is to have faith in Maria and teach her as best we can. Any objections?" Only a muffled growling could be heard from a tied-up figure beneath the table. "Excellent, motion carried unanimously."

~~~

The duel was over; the deputy captain won easily. I was shocked to see the honey-gold hair of my brother as the loser peeled off his helmet.

"Looks like I still need to get sharper," he said wryly. His opponent removed her helmet as well, shaking out a mane of hair I knew very well...

"MARY?!" Maria and I shouted in unison.

My best friend - and apparently also the deputy captain of the fencing club - turned to look at us, flashing that beautiful smile and making her crowd of admirers swoon. How... this made no sense! Mary was cast as Wakaba! Why was she Juri, now? I glanced at Maria, suddenly worried - was it possible for their characters to change somehow? But no - as soon as Mary walked over, she launched herself at me, Wakaba-style.

"Katarina-sama! I'm so glad you came to watch our match! I hope you enjoyed it?" she asked, almost purring out the word "enjoyed." "And Maria-san. Good afternoon." 

The final piece of the puzzle snapped into place. Keith was the love interest, and Maria the rival for his affections. Mary must have noticed the three of us spending time together recently. Maybe she really was both characters, somehow.

"I didn't know you were such a fencing expert, Mary!" I beamed. Maria's eyes were wide - I think she was surprised, too!

"Oh, it's just a hobby." Mary giggled. "I just figured it was one of those things that, if I ever needed, I couldn't hope for a miracle to save me." Her eyes flicked over to Maria.

"Believe in miracles, and they will know your true feelings," I quoted from the anime without thinking, and Mary blushed deeply.

"Is that... is that something you think is true, Katarina-sama?"

"Beats me," I admitted. "I never knew what it meant." Mary sighed, looking annoyed with my foolishness, and went off to get changed.

"She's incredible," Maria breathed next to me. I turned to see her looking pale and shaky. Oh no! Was she sick? What rotten luck for her that it would happen right after we switched back. If I were still in her body, it would be me feeling sick. Not that I liked being sick, but if I could have suffered it instead of Maria...

Mary rejoined us, wearing a student council uniform, a princely white and gold coat with orange trim that fit her very... 

...very well indeed. Maybe I was sick too. I felt hot. Mary is such a beautiful girl, isn't she? The coat was paired with pink pants, a less revealing outfit than her school uniform, but still scandalous for a lady of her station if we had been back in Sorcier. She looked poised, she looked powerful.

"...is Maria-san feeling alright?" I took my eyes off my best friend to look at Maria. She looked faint. She looked ill.

"I'm fine, thank you, no need to worry," Maria's voice trembled a bit. I gave her my most stern look.

"Yes there is! You should be in bed resting! You look like you're ready to fall over! Look... why don't I just..." I couldn't really see an alternative, she really did look like she was wobbling, so I picked her up to carry her back to our dorm.

"Katarina-sama!" Mary and Maria both gasped. I grinned - obviously they were surprised I was strong enough to do the Princess Carry like this, though honestly, Mary at least should know I'm strong enough to support another girl's weight, she's been jumping on me often enough.

"See you later, Mary!" I raced off to get Maria into bed, even more worried now that she looked so flushed. She had to take better care of herself.

Later that evening, she was looking much better after some bed rest and tea. We were chatting at our table as we studied.

"Mary-san..." Maria looked up from her book. "She's really quite exceptional, isn't she?"

"She sure is!" I beamed. "I'm very lucky to be friends with so many exceptional people!" I reached out and put my hand over hers to let her know she was included.

"You two have been friends for a long time?"

I thought back, not entirely sure how to answer. In our world, the world of Sorcier, Mary and I had been best friends for years, but I had no idea how long Utena and Wakaba's relationship had been. There wasn't a great way to be cagey about such a thing, though, so I figured I'd just leap in headfirst. "A long time," I agreed. It was true... I just hoped it was also true here.

"You seem... very close with her, Katarina-sama." Maria was looking away, now. I leaned in to catch her eye. What was she feeling? I knew Maria, just like Anthy, hadn't had any friends before meeting me at the school. Was she wishing she had a friend that close? I could have more than one best friend - we were already roommates, after all, and even in Sorcier spent a lot of time together. I gave her a reassuring smile. If there really was a love triangle between her and Mary and Keith, I wouldn't take sides - Keith and Maria could have beautiful children as well. 

Why was my heart pounding as she looked at me? What was I stressed about? I looked away to try and gather myself, and realized our fingers were intertwined. When had we even done that? Reflexively, I brought my hands up to my head to think. Maria's hand lingered on the table a moment before she stood up.

"I'm going to step outside for a bit of fresh air," she said abruptly, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

Maybe I was looking at it all wrong. In the anime, Juri was undeniably interested in girls - in one particular girl over everyone else. I had put so much thought into Mary and Keith, but could Mary actually be attracted to...?

It was possible. It was plausible. It was still a bit confusing, but... if she liked Maria and saw me as a third wheel, or worse, a rival for Maria's affections, she couldn't change the way she behaved toward me or it would become transparent. The way she was acting toward Maria, though...

"Tsundere," I said to nobody in particular. That was as good a reason as any.

I spun with a smile as the door opened and Maria stepped in, holding a flower. Ooh! Someone giving flowers... maybe I could get some intel on who had a crush on her!

"Out late meeting someone?" I asked slyly. Maria nodded quietly. "Someone special? Someone who wanted to give you a flower?"

Maria shook her head. "It's not like that, Katarina-sama." She held out the flower so I could see.

A rose.

"...another duel?" I asked weakly. She nodded. "Who?"

"Mary."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ended up splitting this one as it was getting long.


	14. Dangerous

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The destined showdown between Katarina's best friend and beloved roommate!

Maria's hand trembled as she set down the rose. I was instantly worried - she still looked pale, and her eyes looked red and puffy. Allergies? Was she still sick? Of course she was. I made her sit and gave her a cup of tea.

"Katarina-sama..." the cup was clinking against the saucer. Her hands really were shaky, and when I looked at her again it was as though she was about to cry!

"Is the tea wrong? Did I make it wrong?" I fretted. What else could I do for her? "Is there something else you need? Something cold? I think there's a vending machine downstairs..."

Maria flashed a small, sweet smile. "The tea is lovely, Katarina-sama. I don't need anything else, please don't trouble yourself."

I smiled back, holding my sigh in until I turned away, so she wouldn't see how worried I was. I would have to talk with Mary tomorrow, to find out whether Maria had shown any signs of being sick when she was -

\- wait, but Mary challenged Maria to a duel! There's no way she would be able to participate tomorrow if she was sick! I had to do something to help.

The next morning, I woke up extra-early, sneaking out quietly so as not to bother Maria. The cold compress had fallen off her head in the night, so I made sure to carefully replace it before I left. I had to go enlist a co-conspirator...

~~~

"This meeting shall now come to order!" the gavel banged the table.

Happy Katarina raised her hand to present a plan. "Katarina should just ask Mary very nicely to cancel the duel so they can all be friends!"

"Mary is a very determined person," Spineless Katarina fidgeted. "I don't think we can persuade her to call it off, and anyway it might not be allowed?"

"If we want to explore options at all, we may need some leverage on our side. If we could appeal to someone she cares deeply about to persuade her, we might be able to buy Maria some time to recover."

"Keith?" piped Happy Katarina.

"Could be."

"Alan-sama?"

"We don't know where he is," Spineless Katarina muttered.

"Nicol-san could persuade anyone, he's so beautiful..."

"Nicol-san is playing the role of Touga, though; as Student Council President, he's required to enforce the rules of the Rose Seal and the duels," the glasses pushed up as Scholar Katarina presented her findings. "Besides," she toggled a screen showing all seven friends plus Katarina, clicking to rearrange them by order of a particular metric, "Mary's Nicol-san resistance is surprisingly high. Based on collected evidence, she and Alan-sama are neck and neck for second place behind Geordo." Katarina's resistance meter blinked a disappointing red 0%, while Maria's flashed a question mark and an icon of a panicked chibi Katarina face. "We cannot count on him in this."

"It should be whoever her most precious person is!" Fearless Katarina declared, nodding smugly at her clever deduction.

"...but who is that?"

"I don't know!"

"...there may be a way we could find out?" Spineless Katarina spoke so quietly that her words were almost missed by the others. The Chairman motioned her to stand and speak up. "Juri always wore a locket in which she kept a picture of her one true love. If Mary has that..."

"Hang on!" Fearless Katarina shouted, causing Spineless Katarina to quail. "Are you suggesting Katarina violate her privacy like that? Even for a villainess, that's low. I won't hear of it."

The gavel banged. "Rebuttal arguments?"

Scholar Katarina's hand raised. "We won't actually have confirmation, just an educated guess."

"We know, though," Happy Katarina wasn't smiling as she glared across the table.

"So?" Scholar Katarina's glasses pushed up. "We've already got it narrowed down to a few choices anyway. This method would simply provide the final answer."

"But what if it reveals she loves Geordo or someone?"

"Then as her best friend, Katarina should help her be with the person she loves. Don't we owe Mary that?"

The air in the council room was tense, sparks flying between two opposing sides. The gavel banged.

"Due to the dangers of losing track of Maria Campbell and possibly allowing doom flags to emerge, the Chair sides with those who wish to steal the locket."

"Coward!"

"Meanie!"

"Katarina already knew those things about herself," Spineless Katarina said sullenly, looking away from the table. "We may as well lean into it."

~~~

It was hard to believe this was the family's second home; their Ohtori estate was as grand as a number of manors from Sorcier. I knocked on a beautiful oaken door, expecting a servant to be greeting me, which is why I should be excused for my temporary shock when the beautiful smile of Nicol Ascart swept me away. Uhh... where was I? He was saying something. He really did have a beautiful smile. Oh no, what are those words he's shaping so perfectly? If only I could read lips...

"Ahem, I said good morning. Would you like to come in, Claes-kun?"

"Oh sorry! Good morning! I was actually looking for Sophia, if she's around?"

Angelic white hair bobbed into view as my friend popped her head out a window. "Katarina-sama! Good morning!"

"Good morning, Sophia! I was wondering if you'd like to come to school with me, to work on a project!"

Nicol's eyebrow raised handsomely. It was rude of him to make even that look handsome. "A project? Sophia hasn't mentioned anything."

"It's new," I was getting good at the half-truths, wasn't I?

"Is there anything I can do to help?" An image flashed through my mind, Mary and Nicol as the battling forces on a Final Fantasy screen, a Reflect spell causing Nicol's sparkly rays of beauty to bounce off of Mary and hit OH COME ON why was I there in my own mental image getting hit by lasers made of handsome capture target charisma? Stupid traitor brain.

"Brain? You do say strange things sometimes," he chuckled. Sophia burst out from under his arm, a giant smile on her face. I smiled at her, hoping my blush wasn't obvious. Why did I say words?!

"I sure do, I'm so... so definitely silly! So anyway, look at the time, Sophia! We should get going for this project!" I practically pushed Sophia away from the house so that there was no excuse to stick around and embarrass myself more in front of Nicol.

"So..." Sophia gave me a tiny smirk as we walked up the hill to the main campus. "What are we really doing, Katarina-sama?"

"It's... kind of hard to explain," I rubbed the back of my neck as I tried to figure out how to lay it out. Sophia in Sorcier would have understood, I could have just compared it to the plot of a romance novel, but Sophia-as-Nanami wouldn't have read any of those. "I have this hunch... no... um... there's a thing, because... if we had it, then..." Why must words be hard? I sighed. "I'm trying to figure out if my best friend has a crush on someone, but to figure out who..."

"...you need to steal Mary-san's locket!" she finished excitedly. "She always wears it close to her heart." 

I was practically glowing with joy. That was so much easier than I expected! "Exactly! If we can steal it, I can see who she has a crush on, and then ask them to ask her to postpone her duel with Maria so that Maria can recover from being sick and duel her properly! Easy, right?" I turned to look at Sophia, still with a braid running like a headband through her hair, just like the character she was playing. Her expression was one of total confusion. "Uh... I guess I lost you there somewhere?"

"Um... well, I get the basic idea, at least!" she said earnestly. My friend really was adorable! Her hand went to her chin as she took out a book, thumbing through it. "Are you sure Mary-san won't mind, though? This does seem very personal..."

Guilt formed a stone in my belly. "It's a vital step to ensuring her happiness," I said, only half believing it. When did I become such a liar? It was certainly true that I wanted to help Mary find and be with the person she loved, but I was unable to deny that I had other motives. I needed Maria to have a chance to win so I could stay close to her and protect myself from doom flags.

"Doom flags?" Sophia asked, and I froze up. I really wish I could claim that the saying things out loud issue was also new.

"Oh... uh... nevermind me!" I laughed, flapping my hand to wave it off as nothing. Maybe a little too frantically. "So, uh... the mission?"

"Yes, I've already got a plan." Sophia took out a pencil and started scribbling. I leaned in to see what she was writing. Wow... Sophia smells pretty, too. Where are these girls finding this soap? I haven't seen Maria use any perfume, so it has to be a soap of some kind...

Sophia had put together a complicated doodle, a plan that involved sneaking into the fencing club, distracting the faculty advisor, stealing the master locker room key, waiting for Mary to go to the showers... "You really put this together so fast?" Nanami was a character who could get deeply invested in meticulous schemes, but something about this made me think it was pure Sophia - it reminded me of a romance novel in execution. "This is really amazing!" I beamed at her. She was so smart. Sophia was blushing slightly as I read over her shoulder, feeling slightly rude, but if she hated my intruding into her personal space, she was polite enough not to mention it. One sticking point, though...

"Wait... if one of us has to be the lookout, and one of us has to steal the key... who distracts the faculty advisor?"

Sophia smiled. "My friends will handle that."

~~~

"I object!"

"Overruled."

"We're better than this," Happy Katarina pouted.

"No we're not, we're the villainess," Spineless Katarina didn't look any happier about the plan.

"Shh. Look. Everyone's in position. Sophia's plan is working flawlessly. We just need to..." the projector flashed red as the key came into view. *TARGET ACQUIRED*

"Chairman!" Fearless Katarina leapt onto the table. "We can still walk away from this!"

The Chairman paused for a moment, then shook her head and pulled a well-worn lever labeled REGRET LATER. The screen showed Katarina's hand reaching out, picking up the key, slipping out of the faculty room. The Council heaved a collective sigh of relief.

"Phase 3 successful," Scholar Katarina pronounced. "Now for phase -"

Loud klaxons sounded as the screen turned red. A handsome, honey-haired boy stood blocking Katarina's path.

"TRIPLE MAYDAY!"

~~~

"Oh, uh... Claes-san! Good morning! How funny to run into you here!"

"At the fencing club?" Keith looked suspicious, waving his hand to indicate his fencing outfit and sword. "You've seen me fence before."

"Uh... yes! I have! It's just that I'm never here, myself..." Yes! Nice save, Katarina!

"Except for yesterday," he pointed out flatly. 

"Yesterday?"

"You were here with Campbell-san?"

Oh. Right. "YES! HAHAHA! I certainly was!" I needed a change of subject. Keith's stupid sweaty glowy face was distracting me. "Um... how's your sister doing?"

"Causing trouble, I expect," he covered his mouth to cough, though it sounded a bit like a laugh. "What might you be doing back here?"

"I was... looking for Mary! Yeah! She's the fencing club captain, this is the right place to look for her." Solid work, Katarina. I might get out of this yet.

"Deputy captain, and she's leading the lesson right now. Did you want me to take you out there?"

"Um... well, before I do that, I should probably shower. I had a long walk this morning, I think I'm still a bit..." a single droplet ran down from Keith's hair along his jawline, "sweaty." It was hot in here, too. This school is always too hot. It's a serious property maintenance problem! Even poor Keith looked like the heat would make him faint, face reddening and eyes glazing over. "Uh... are you okay? I could take you -"

"NO! No... uh... I... that is... I just need a shower." He turned and walked away. "Cold, cold shower. Yes. Definitely."

First Maria, and now Keith. Was there something going around getting everyone sick?

The faculty advisor was heading back in my direction, so I ran out of the back office area to meet with Sophia. Her friends were crowded around her, excitedly relaying their successes. They glared at my approach.

"Katarina-sama!" she smiled. "Did you accomplish Phase 3?" I nodded excitedly. "Perfect! Girls, I'll see you later. Good work today!" They gave her their best smiles and ran off. Sophia looked at me quietly.

"I'm glad to see you have so many friends, Sophia!" It really was nice to see... girls just like that had been perfectly horrid to her growing up, but now they doted on her the way I thought everyone should.

"It is nice, although," her voice was quiet, "sometimes I think I only have friends because they hope to attract my brother."

"No way! You're smart and beautiful, anyone would be lucky to be your friend!" And anyway, I chuckled to myself, according to the rules of Fortune Lover there was no way to attract Nicol's affection without being a genuine friend to Sophia. "I'm lucky to be your friend, and it's not like I'm planning on falling for Nicol!" Even if he was beautiful like the night sky full of stars.

"I wouldn't mind that," she told me earnestly - a bit loudly, too. "You can be my friend and like my brother too. I would be okay with that, Katarina-sama!" Sophia's declaration was firm.

"I do like your brother! He's very - nice," I said a bit weakly, searching for a compliment other than for his looks. Nicol-san had many wonderful qualities, but in this world I'd only ran into him a few times, and I didn't want to risk speaking out of turn. Again. Brain first, mouth second. Brain first, mouth second. Have to remember that one. "He's also - wait." I looked around the room. "Where'd Mary go?"

"Oh no! The showers!" Sophia panicked and dragged me by the hand as she ran toward the locker rooms. We could hear the water running in the back.

"Hurry!" she whispered to me, keeping a lookout. I slipped between the rows of lockers, finding the captain's locker and unlocking it, steeling myself to break my friend's privacy in order to escape my doom flag. I felt hollow, my throat felt flat and cold inside. Could I really do this to Mary?

Could I really do less for Maria?

The door swung open, revealing - huh. A folded-up uniform with dark blue trim, and a silvery sword in need of polishing... this wasn't Mary's, though. Keith flashed into my mind - right! Mary isn't the captain, she's the deputy captain. I closed the other locker and unlocked the one next to it.

But I didn't open it.

~~~

"I can't do it," Spineless Katarina wailed. "The guilt was too much."

"Three against one!" Happy Katarina declared excitedly. The Chairman looked puzzled, doing a headcount quickly.

Fearless Katarina sat on a noisy, rattling crate covered in ropes. "Three votes makes a majority, Chairman. Katarina has to do the right thing. Look how bad she felt when she opened that first locker!" The projector screen showed Katarina's guilt on a graph, normally oscillating at 70-80% and spiking up briefly to 200%. Self-confidence was on the next slide, wobbling at 20-30% before plunging to -100%. The slide after that resembled a speedometer, the scale running from "Heroine" with a little sticker of a chibi Maria to a red-zone labeled "Villainess" with a little sticker of chibi Katarina with horns and fangs. The needle wobbled on the edge of the red zone before going deep into the red. "We can't do that a second time. Katarina's friends have done so much for her that she doesn't even deserve. The least we can do is treat them the way we would want them to be treated if they had a better friend."

"But our doom flags..." Spineless Katarina shook back and forth on her chair.

"Some things are more important!" Fearless and Happy declared together.

"In the absence of any dissenting opinion," the crate lurched ominously, making a loud squawking sound, "motion carried."

~~~

I sighed, re-locking Mary's locker and leaning against it briefly. I'm sorry, Mary. You deserve a better friend than this cold-hearted villainess.

"Katarina-sama?"

I turned to see Mary standing there in a towel - with the locket still on her neck!

"Mary! I, uh... I wanted..." What reason could I have for being there? Oh, right, there was still one thing I had to do. I held up the key. "I found this on the floor. I was hoping you knew who it belonged to?"

She walked up to me, hair still dripping from the shower. I'd never really seen her hair slick like this before; it pressed tightly around her face, making her eyes look larger and prettier. I handed her the key. "Oh yes, our faculty advisor should have this. I'll make sure to return it to him." She smiled at me as she opened her locker, loosening her towel. I turned around, instinctively giving her the privacy I'd been so ready to violate not a moment ago.

"Am I making you uncomfortable?" she teased. She was, a bit - I blushed as I thought of how immodest this version of Mary was. The Mary from Sorcier would never have dreamed of standing naked so close to me. This world was already changing my friends in strange ways. If only I could puzzle out the secret of the locket...

"My locket?" Ahhhh nuts, I did it again. "You were wondering about this?" I turned to look at her out of the corner of my eye; she at least had her skirt and bra on. She held it out for me to examine. "I wear this with me everywhere I go." Mary paused, then her voice changed tone. "It contains a picture of the person who is most precious to me. Would you like to see?"

I nodded wordlessly, shocked at how easy this had become, and she dropped the locket into my hand. I pressed the button to release the catch...

Mary.

Mary, Mary, Mary.

I sighed, exasperated yet again with my friends and their secret loves. Here I was, having spent all day hoping to discover who Mary loved, and instead all she had in the locket was a picture of me, her friend! I snapped it closed and handed it back to her. "That's very nice of you," I said lamely, but not wanting to be mistaken I quickly added, "and you're precious to me too!"

She took the locket back, and I turned again to find her dressed as Juri, in her student council uniform, looking like a powerful and confident goddess of war. I silently prayed that Maria had recovered, that she might have any kind of chance against Mary outside of a total miracle. This Mary, glowing and confident, could have anything she wanted, and right now she wanted to take over Maria's Engagement. She put her locket back on, giving me a cute little frustrated sigh. "I guess the duel is still on, then," I could have sworn she muttered. I excused myself to go see to my roses - still my job, after all!

Sophia caught me on the way out. "So?" she shifted from foot to foot, looking nervous and excited. "Did you find out who Mary loves most?"

"No," I sighed, "It's still a total mystery to me." Sophia smiled and took my arm as we walked back.

Maria was waiting for us at the greenhouse. To be honest, she still looked a little sick, but the sight of her smile made my frustrations melt away. I gave her hand a quick supportive squeeze as I popped in to water the roses and cut a pair for the duel.

As we walked to the dueling forest, I had to ask quietly, "Are you ready for this one?"

"To be honest, Katarina-sama..." she said awkwardly, "I've never been ready for any of them, but... I have something to fight for, and that's enough."

"Oh?" The gate to the dueling forest parted as Maria touched the handle. 

"The power to bring the world revolution," she teased, voice soft. I chuckled at that, though it degraded into a sigh as the tall staircase came into view. Zettai... unmei... bah. BAH. I didn't want to dignify all this stair-climbing with a half-remembered song about destiny. I cast my mind about and landed on a different half-remembered song, from a CD an exchange student had left behind, in a language I didn't know. The chorus had a nice, light melody, and that's all I needed.

"A new song, Katarina-sama?"

"There should be a new song for every duel," I told her seriously. That was true - in the anime, each duel had a unique song backing it, though the stair climb was always the same choir singing about destiny.

"What is this one? I don't recognize the language."

"Neither do I," I admitted, "but it's about..." my mind flashed to Mary, in her student council outfit, fiery confidence radiating from the water magic user. "♪ _You know she's a little bit dangerous..._ " I sang the words phonetically. "It's about a woman," I smiled as I tried to remember the translation from English to Japanese. "A woman who can't be stopped, I think."

Maria flashed me a smile, though for once it was inauthentic - she still looked nervous and ill. I hope she didn't think I was pushing her to win! 

Mary was waiting for us at the top, a sword with a golden-winged hilt already in hand.

"It's about time, Campbell-san."

"Um... girls, it's not too late to call this off, right?" I tried weakly.

"I'm not here to lose, Hunt-san."

I gave up, sighing as I walked over to pin an orange rose to Mary's jacket. She flashed a confident smile that made me feel warm in my belly. "I'm fighting to win," she purred, "so that my feelings can finally be known."

"You could just tell me," I protested, but that earned nothing more than a flat look from her as she raised a hand to rub her locket under her jacket. I walked over to pin Maria's rose on her dress.

"Look, I have to ask... Is this about some kind of love triangle? I'm sure you two can resolve it, right?" Maria shook her head. "But you're both such good friends! Nobody could come between you..." Maria's eyes were narrowed suspiciously. Whoops. "Uh, friends... from student council together. Nobody can come between the student council."

"That's the role of the Rose Bride, Katarina-sama," Mary called from the other side of the arena. "There can be only one holder of the true prize, and I intend it to be me!"

"Are you ready?" Maria asked, and I nodded. She tipped me back, light gathering at my breast as she spoke the words of the mysterious ritual:

"Grant me the power to bring the world revolution!"

I always blushed at this part, and I was never sure why - sure, her hand grasping the hilt of the Sword of Dios felt strange and wonderful and filled me with miraculous feelings, the feelings of a true heroine rather than a plain villainess like me, but when she drew it forth I felt so hollow and empty, all of those beautiful emotions trapped in the light of the blade, entrusted into Maria's hands. I was glad of that, at least, but...

...Maria could not win this duel. Not after spending so long being ill. Not when Mary had put so much of herself into playing the Juri role, the ultimate duelist. Had Utena even beaten Juri? I didn't think so, somehow. My two friends, blonde and brunette, launched forward, blades clashing as they met in the middle of the arena. Already, Maria was on the back foot, Mary catching her strike in the winged crossguard and easily turning it aside.

"It's my turn, Maria-san," Mary declared as she darted forward. "You've had it easier than me all this time," she continued, pushing Maria back as their blades danced in midair. "I put my faith in a miracle for all this time, and my true feelings have still never been known! Why should your feelings have more of a chance than mine?"

Maria's sword narrowly blocked the winning stroke, but it wasn't looking good for her. Was Mary toying with her?

"I won't deny your feelings, Mary-san," Maria winced as the swords clashed again, too close to her face. I was growing afraid for her. "However," her eyes shifted in my direction, and she blushed and smiled, "I have already found my miracle."

"And did it help?" Mary shouted as metal struck metal. "Did your feelings get through?" Maria hesitated, and that was it - Mary's sword came up, flicking the Sword of Dios up into the air, causing Maria to stumble on her dress and fall to the ground. "I know they didn't. Waiting for a miracle... I spent years hoping for my miracle, for my feelings to be known. That was my mistake. Never again." Her blade raised up to strike off Maria's rose. I knew it - this was a love triangle! Who the boy was at the center of it, I still didn't know, but I was ready to rush in and separate them, tell them it was stupid to fight over anyone when each of them deserved the full love of their special person.

That's when the Sword of Dios plummeted back down from where Mary had flicked it up, point neatly spearing the rose off of her chest.

Mary looked to be in such a state of shock that Maria and I immediately ran to her. "Are you okay, Mary? Did the sword hit you as it fell?" Her eyes were full of tears, and I worried she was in pain from an injury, but she just collapsed into my arms to hug me.

"I just need my true feelings to be understood..." she sniffled, and I held her close to comfort her. I didn't know why they were putting so much stock in the duel for this. If she wanted to tell someone she loved them, she should come right out and do so. I wanted to yell, to coach, to motivate, to cheerlead for her love, but if she wouldn't tell me who she had feelings for...

Maria wordlessly wrapped her arms around us, laying her head on my shoulder. That's right. I may be a villainess, but I could at least try being a good friend, and a good friend would accept Mary's privacy and not do any of those other things. A good friend would just be there for her.

So that's what I did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm a bit staggered at all the support... 2000 views, 100 kudos... thank you to everyone who continues to follow this oddball story of mine! I hope I'm still delivering - no intention of stopping anytime soon!


	15. I Uncovered A Forgotten Magic Spell...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mary Hunt reflects on her experiences at Ohtori Academy.

I hadn't even been looking for it, not really. I don't remember why I had originally started exploring this dusty section of the library, but the Book of Desires and its strange enchantment had not been at the top of my mind. Not when I started, certainly. The library environment brought back memories, however, of the scenes Maria-chan and I had viewed in the mysterious magical book. I don't think I was subconsciously searching for information about it, but...

However I found it, I remember what happened next with total clarity - me knocking on Sophia Ascart's door, concealing the forgotten scroll in my skirts like it was something clandestine (which, admittedly, it slightly was...)

"Mary-chan?" Sophia answered the door, looking drowsy. "It's so late, why are you - "

I burst through the door, shocking myself with my rudeness, and gestured for her to close it. Carefully, not wanting the thin parchment to disintegrate and ruin our chance, I unrolled the old scroll on her table.

"Do you remember the Book of Desires, Sophia-chan?" The question was a formality; even in the dim light, I could see her pale face turning pink. No wonder - I remembered Sophia's "chapter" of the Book, her forwardness toward Katarina-sama. I still felt frustrated that I hadn't been caught in the Book's magic as well, hadn't had the chance to live out my desires with my beloved Katarina Claes. I motioned to Sophia to look at the section of the scroll I was pointing to.

Her ruby eyes scanned back and forth in silence. "...is this saying what I think it is?" She looked at me, eyes shining with hope, and my heart beat faster in my chest. I hadn't misread it - Sophia was seeing the same thing!

"It's not the same magic - but with this, if we combine our powers..." I hugged myself tight, a shiver going down my spine.

"...we can show her our true feelings," Sophia breathed, eyes wide. "We'll need help, though." She traced through the lines of the spell to a diagram, pointing at a rune just above the center. I recognized the glyph from our magic studies.

"We need Maria Campbell."

~~~

I shook my head, clearing away the daydream as I tried to sort for new fluttering memories, the flickering imagery that intruded into my thoughts, teaching me about my role in the story Katarina's mind had brought us into. Roles, actually - how very strange. I had been cast both as an affectionate best friend (how appropriate, and I blushed as I contemplated how Katarina must have viewed me for this to be my role) and as an elite member of the school's student council. I remembered the first memories that had slipped into my thoughts - the best friend character (me!) throwing herself at her beloved, speaking words of affection, holding her close...

Yes, this had worked out perfectly for me!

Other memories were less useful - this character was apparently supposed to be drawn to Geordo-sama's character, a dark-hearted and immature man who was Engaged to Katarina. I had to stifle a giggle at that - well-cast indeed! My other character's affections for a precious girl who did not recognize her love for what it was... that felt much more true to me. Everything would be flawless, I reassured myself that first day. We had met as a group, the six of us, to discuss the outcome of our spell, to lay out the ground rules, and...

...and that's when we received the first letter.

Who was this mysterious "End of the World?" The flickers of life experience from my characters offered no answers, and the others looked as puzzled as I was. The only thing I recognized in the confusing echoes in my mind was that we were required to follow the instructions of those letters in order to participate in the Rules of the Rose Seal. 

In order to retain the right to duel for Katarina.

I left that meeting already planning a way around the deal we'd laid out - I would write a letter myself, pouring out my true feelings for Katarina-sama. The flickering imagery told me this was a popular method of announcing one's affection for another in this story - "confessing" was the word that had been used. I checked in at the fencing club to make sure my other suspicion was true. 

Alan-sama had come across with us, but in this story he was a student absent from school due to illness. Even more perfect! With one dangerous rival down, I wouldn't need to invest energy distracting Alan-sama from his own unwitting bid for Katarina's hand. Speaking of whom...

I went to the main administration building to mail my letter, where I spotted a very familiar sweep of beautiful brown hair. I sometimes wished I could maintain hair of that length, but when I'd once confided in Katarina-sama that I was ashamed of my comparatively short hair, she had taken my hands in hers... taken my hands... and she looked deep into my eyes, those beautiful, brilliant, blue eyes... and she told me...

"Mary, wearing your hair in the way that makes you most comfortable will always be more beautiful than trying to change to look how someone else wants you to!"

I kept it shoulder-length after that. The look that made me most comfortable was the one that caused Katarina's eyes to sparkle when she saw me. It made me think that the miracle might be possible - that she might see my feelings, embrace them, embrace ME... and break off her engagement with Geordo.

Katarina was dressed even more immodestly than I was - the "uniform" I wore had a skirt that wouldn't be a proper slip, and my legs were bare above the knee when above the ankle was the stuff of utter scandal! With nobody remarking on it, though, I wasn't about to challenge the dress sense of the character Katarina's mind had dreamed up for me. Besides... I had another costume I could wear if I wanted to cover my legs, though the notion of wearing trousers as a girl...

...well, Katarina-sama does it all the time with her overalls. No reason I couldn't, also. 

As for my beloved Katarina herself, she wore... what in truth looked like a tight red undergarment of sorts, trousers with very little length to the leg; and a black version of the jacket I'd seen on the student council members. The outfit was scandalous, and lacked the elegance and beauty of her gowns from Sorcier, yet... I shifted uncomfortably as my eyes roamed over her, brimming with all manner of unladylike thoughts. A memory that wasn't mine fluttered into my mind - an image of me flinging myself at Katarina, arms wrapped around her in a joyful embrace.

Unladylike... improper... scandalous...

...perfect.

Katarina lurched unsteadily beneath me as I latched onto her, hugging her close. She was actually letting me, too! She felt so warm... and then her arms were around me, hugging me back.

"I'm so glad to see you, Mary!" How had I not found this spell months ago? Years? I offered to skip classes with her, if that's what she was doing; I could think of some much better uses for our time together, but she begged off, promising to see me after classes. I sighed internally... oh Katarina-sama, why did you have to pick now, of all times, to be a diligent student?

After class, I sought out Katarina in the school courtyard, but was interrupted by a runner from the mail office, a younger student.

"Pardon me, Hunt-senpai... I was asked to notify you about your letter."

"What about it?" Did it get to Katarina? Was I going to get a reply?

"The student you mailed it to doesn't have a dormitory assignment yet. The mail office redirected it to the student council to see if they could get in touch with her."

My eyebrow twiched. "I am a member of the student council. Why was it not brought to me?"

"Apologies, senpai, but you weren't at the council chambers. The vice-president said he would take care of your letter."

Storm clouds gathered in my mind as I looked down the hall to where Geordo Stuart was talking near the greenhouse with Maria Campbell. The prince looked up, catching my eye, and gave me a fake, smug little smile. Ooh, if he weren't a prince, I would just - but there was no time for him. He and Maria left the courtyard, and I ran up to find Katarina-sama sneaking out of the greenhouse.

"Mary-chan, please forgive meeee!" she pleaded, falling to her knees. "I lost track of the time! I was here listening to Geordo -"

I could feel the heat rising in me. "Those Stuarts... why you should give them any of your attention, Katarina-sama, with the kinds of things they do..." like stealing people's letters. I knew he would never have delivered it - though a small voice in the back of my mind reminded me, uncomfortably, that I'd broken the rules by sending it in the first place.

She looked confused. How to explain? "Only... I wrote a letter, you see..."

"A love letter?" My eyes went wide. Did she actually... no, I couldn't get my hopes up. "I understand!" Katarina-sama declared. "You wrote a beautiful letter to your love, but Geordo snatched it away because he didn't want your feelings to reach that person!"

It was like a dam bursting inside of me to hear her realize it. "Oh Katarina-sama! You do understand!" I stepped forward to embrace her, my eyes stinging with tears of joy. "It's all I ever dreamed of, for you to finally understand!"

"Mary, I promise you..." I looked up at her, those beautiful blue eyes filled with passion and empathy. I leaned my face forward, and she - 

"I will definitely make Geordo understand that he can't get in the way of your love!"

Wait! Katarina-sama! No! Come back here and accept my love! Geordo Stuart isn't here right NOW! A river of things I could have and should have shouted started to boil over in my mind. A memory came back, this one all mine from this morning. The letter from End of the World had said that the Rose Bride - Katarina - would choose the next duel.

Would she challenge Geordo for me?

...but no. I wasn't invited to any duel, and when my dormitory assignment arrived, I was in a building different from Katarina-sama. I went to visit her at her new residence, and that's when I discovered that there had been a duel.

And Maria Campbell had won it.

"Are you sure it's just the two of you that will be living here?" I tried to keep the heat out of my voice. "Alone?" I failed. Maria blushed pink and turned to scrub an already-clean window. Perhaps I wasn't the only one with less-than-ladylike thoughts. I convinced Katarina to go for a walk outside so I could have a little heart-to-heart with the blonde girl.

"So..." I tried to keep my voice sweet as I sized up the Engaged. "I'm surprised you were able to beat Geordo, I didn't think swordfighting was commonly taught in the villages."

Maria shifted uncomfortably. "It was just luck," she mumbled. "I had no idea Katarina-sama would ask me to be the first to duel." She looked adorable like this. Oh no. I would definitely have to reevaluate my rival rankings. Since Katarina-sama had been invited to the student council room in the magic academy, it was rare for Maria and I to spend time together without her, and so I'd never realized (due to my attention being, um, elsewhere) how truly beautiful she is.

"Luck..." I repeated blandly. "Yes, well, I suppose it was lucky that you beat Geordo right before the dormitory assignment." Both of us blushed deeply at that. Katarina-sama had many wonderful qualities, but... well, Keith and I had noticed a couple of years back that she didn't seem to recognize when Geordo's flirtation became more *ahem* ardent, more deliberate, and she continued to display a truly unfortunate innocence in the ways of men and women. "Not that I trust you with her," I added quickly, causing her to turn scarlet and put her hands up in denial of whatever I was implying, "but anyone is better than Geordo Stuart."

"You don't think that he..." she glanced out the window and fell silent, mouth ajar. I followed her line of sight - the man himself was out there with Katarina, totally alone! I grabbed Maria's hand and ran with her down the stairs.

"Truce between us for the moment?"

"I think that would be best, Mary-san."

"Good. Let's get him out of here."

It didn't work, though - despite my protests, Maria agreed to a rematch with Geordo. That was his right, as the most recent Engaged. I didn't like how the blonde asserted her own Engagement while I was still embracing my Katarina-sama. Maria Campbell was many things, but assertive wasn't one of them. Yes... I would definitely have to revise my rival rankings, but for the moment, I silently prayed that she could miraculously beat Geordo a second time.

And to my great surprise, she did!

Despite being happy that Geordo wouldn't have a chance to corrupt Katarina, I was still frustrated that Maria had Katarina-sama all to herself so often. The following morning, I made sure to catch up with them and stake my claim, using my privileges as the best friend character, who Katarina would expect physical affection from. She really is so warm... but once again, there was Maria Campbell, calmly but firmly reminding me that the Rose Bride, my beloved Katarina, was Engaged to her and not me. To make matters worse, Nicol Ascart decided to make his own introduction. Curse his beautiful charm - while I had never been captivated by it, I still understood the appeal, whereas Katarina would always get dazzled by his good looks and gentle manner. That afternoon, when I caught up with her again, she was staring at him from a second-floor window. I teased her about it, but my heart wasn't in it, and when she ran to see Maria again...

Well. It was a good thing I was deputy captain of the fencing club. I found Keith and asked him to spar with me so I could blow off some steam. The exchange was a bit more forceful than I'd intended, and he ended up on the ground with me helping him up.

"I've only seen you get that worked up about two things," he commented as we squared off a second time, "and Alan-sama is still out sick. What did my sister do this time?"

I caught his blade high and turned it aside, lunging to count a strike against him. We reset. "She still isn't seeing past boys," I admitted bitterly. Keith shrugged and gave a small smile.

"You thought it would be that easy?" He tried a deft strike from the right, but I was already familiar with how he favored that side and was ready for him, parrying with ease. "She doesn't see boys, either, you know. No matter how much we try..." He feinted left, but it was obvious, and I disarmed him in the next stroke.

"She sees Nicol Ascart," my voice could peel paint from a wall.

Keith scratched the back of his neck nervously. "Yes, well... who doesn't? That's not a gender thing, that's just..." he blushed. "Look, it's like how you girls can admire one another's looks, even if you don't necessarily find them attractive. I've always found you very beautiful, for instance, and the Ascarts as well," the red was creeping up toward his ears, "but I haven't dreamed of marrying any of you."

"You haven't had time," I teased, and the blush burned bright red. "But maybe..." I set aside my sword and sat, motioning to the bench so he could join me. "Maybe you should put some thought into marrying."

"I think about it all the time," he sighed. Dear sweet innocent Keith... no you don't, I wanted to say, but it would be improper to mention what he truly thought about.

"Not with her," I said firmly. "When we all graduate, there will be less opportunity for us all to see Katarina-sama."

"I'm her brother," he protested.

"Geordo's chief rival."

"I wouldn't be so sure... but how does marrying help with that?"

"If you were to marry one of Katarina's best friends, there would be social reasons - courtly reasons - to see her regularly, outside of family matters. As a princess consort, she would be expected to have ladies to keep counsel with."

Keith looked surprised. "Are you suggesting you and I...?"

If it had to have been anyone... Alan-sama and I had spent a lot of time together as children, but my visits to the Claes estate had been more frequent by far, and Keith had been a dear friend despite our rivalry for his sister's affections. I shook my head. "I'm spoken for, remember? In my worst-case scenario..." it was hard to contemplate, but I needed contingency plans just in case, "I will be part of the royal family."

He sighed. "I don't like being so... calculating about all of this. Sophia-san and Maria-san are beautiful, kind, intelligent girls - "

"Worthy marriage prospects," I pressed.

"- and they deserve someone who will love them wholeheartedly." He shook his head, giving a hollow chuckle. "They deserve Katarina." He patted my knee and gave me a kind smile, the smile of my childhood friend. "And so do you, but I won't give up so easily."

Soon enough, his chance arrived - I found him playing piano in the music room, a skill I knew he'd dabbled with in childhood. Maybe the memories had enhanced his skills - his music approached the quality of Alan-sama's, and I told him so before delivering End of the World's letter commanding the next duel. He was trying to screw up the courage to be open and honest about his feelings with Katarina. It was a nice thought, but...

...well, if any of us believed we could really do that, we would never have needed this spell in the first place.

Somehow, Keith lost to Maria as well. Maybe his sword skills had also gone to the wayside with his piano. Nevertheless, I wasn't about to feel sadness at a second rival defeated. I had been practicing for my own turn when we heard the news about the explosion. 

Frantic at the thought my Katarina-sama could be injured, I changed as quickly as possible and rushed toward the infirmary. There she was with Maria, looking unharmed and beautiful. I threw myself at her, arms wrapping her in a tight embrace. "I was so worried about you, my beloved Katarina-sama! I'm so happy you...'re al... right?" Why were we sinking to the ground? Oh no! Had I killed her???

Maria gave me a hand to help me up. Something was off - Katarina seemed apprehensive, while Maria seemed too casual and familiar all of a sudden.

"We've switched bodies."

What? My mind didn't even question how this could be possible, flooded with a sense of loss and betrayal and hurt. Maria-chan was getting to be more intimate with Katarina-sama than I had ever dreamed possible - why couldn't I have had that opportunity? I would have been so happy to share my body with Katarina-sama, to let her do with it whatever she wished... to share her body in turn. Mind you, generally my dreams in this vein were not quite so literal, but... the mind raced at the possibilities.

When they mentioned the condition might last overnight, the mind raced at those possibilities, too. I grabbed Keith and we investigated everything we could about the incident, ending up in front of their dormitory the next morning with the offending "curry" dish that had apparently sparked the transformation, which apparently reversed itself during the night. I couldn't help myself acting a bit cold to Maria, even though as far as I could tell it wasn't her doing in any way. I had no reason to suspect that anything untoward had happened, and yet...

If it were me... would I have? 

Unable to confront the questions the situation had raised, and unwilling to think of what Maria might have gotten to experience that I could only dream of, I headed back to the fencing club to blow off steam. The girls found me there later, Maria looking positively ill. I smiled inwardly, my face a mask of concern. She'd seen my skills, now. I wasn't Geordo, overconfident and reckless, or Keith, a dabbler. I had been practicing the sword in case I ever needed to help Katarina escape from Geordo for years upon years, and the fluttering memories I had inherited from the fencing club deputy captain only enhanced my skill. Maria's own background couldn't possibly make her a challenge to me.

Not in the dueling arena, at least, but as Katarina-sama carried her sick roommate away like a princess, I felt a pang in my stomach. She could still challenge me in other ways.

That night, I couldn't sleep, still bothered by all of the recent events. Alan-sama remained out of play, but Geordo had finally stopped sulking in his room; he might be ready to rejoin the challenge soon. End of the World had sent another letter, advising that the next challenge could be issued, but neither Nicol nor Sophia had taken the opportunity. The strange body-swapping incident... Maria Campbell besting the third prince twice, and Keith Claes on her third duel. She lived with Katarina-sama. They had gone to the ball together.

My perfect plan, the miracle I had worked for so that Katarina-sama could at last know my true feelings, seemed to be crumbling before an unexpectedly strong rival.

And here she was, outside on the same evening, still looking pale, sitting on a stone wall.

"Good evening, Mary-san," she greeted politely. My eyes narrowed.

"Feeling better, I hope?" I tried to keep my voice even.

"A little, but..." her voice was small. "Well, I shouldn't say this, but I'm afraid of losing my next duel."

"Oh?" That got my attention, and I stepped closer. She looked up at me, tears at the corners of her eyes, her gaze firm and unblinking.

"I don't know how to duel, and even when I win... Mary-san, this world was supposed to show her our feelings." I nodded. "I don't think it's working, though. I find it more confusing here than at the magic academy, and I don't know how much of Katarina is herself and not whoever the memories tell her she should be."

I took her hand gently. We may have been rivals, but we were still friends. "I'm sure she's herself, the same way we are; she just might not have the context we did about the change in the world around her. You know how she can be." I squeezed one of her fingers a little harder than I intended. "You know her much more intimately than I do."

She really was beautiful, this dangerous upstart rival of mine. Not in the way of Katarina, striking and intense, or Sophia, who looked like a precious work of art. A girl like Maria Campbell should have been called plain, or fair, or perhaps pretty, but... there was a kind of "genuine" quality to her that shone through in a way that made her captivating to watch. I wished I had that quality.

"Mary-san..." the tears were flowing a bit, now. "I'm worried about her. I think we may have made a mistake."

I stiffened. This girl had more chances than the rest of us combined to let her feelings be known, and she thought it was a mistake?

"Have you ever told Katarina-sama that she's beautiful?"

"Of course!" I laughed. "I tell her all the time!" Maria wasn't smiling, though - she looked dead serious, even with tears in her eyes.

"Really think about this. Have you ever told her that she's beautiful?"

"All the..." I hesitated. That's a beautiful dress, Katarina-sama. Thank you, Anne picked it out for me, I don't really have an eye for dresses. Your hair looks beautiful today, Katarina-sama. Thank you, Anne worked very hard to do anything with it, it's such a mess. You look radiant today, Katarina-sama. Thank you, but you don't have to be kind for my sake.

Thank you for being kind.

Thank you for saying such nice things.

Thank you for being such a good friend.

Thank you, but you look so much better.

Thank you, but someone else deserves the praise.

Thank you, but...

"All the time," I insisted. "She's just bad at taking a compliment." Why were my eyes stinging? "She's just being modest." Katarina-sama was never modest when it came to things she believed in. She was proud of her fields. She was proud of her tree-climbing. Proud of her sword-fighting.

Maria's teary eyes refused to let mine go, refused to let me stop worrying about this.

"Mary-san... I'm afraid that Katarina-sama might not be able to accept our feelings."

My eyes narrowed as I blinked back tears. Why? Why couldn't she accept them? I had always pegged my hopes on what would have essentially been a miracle, on my best friend waking up one day and realizing the depths of my love for her, out of the blue. Why did this sound so real? Why could I hear Katarina's voice in my head, over and over again, deflecting compliments, seemingly oblivious to flirtation, to open declarations of our love for her?

Why did Maria see this before I did?

Fire welled up inside me as I reached for a rose bush growing near the wall and snapped off a flower. "If she can't accept your feelings, then it's time for your Engagement to end. I won't wait for a miracle any longer." I handed Maria the rose. "Tomorrow, after school." She went pale again. That's right, Maria Campbell. I have more practice, I have more skill, and I have more desire to win.

So I told myself, confident that Maria was wrong. She had to be.

Then Katarina saw my locket. She saw the face of my most precious person. She would finally understand - 

\- but no, she did not, and so I met Maria Campbell in the dueling arena. 

"It's my turn, Maria-san," I lunged, turning her blade aside, forcing her to step back, to gain distance. "You've had it easier than me all this time." Katarina had chosen her for the first duel. Katarina had invited her to the ball. Katarina had swapped bodies with her. Katarina had given her every opportunity. Our blades screamed and sang as my skill met her determination. "I put my faith in a miracle for all this time, and my true feelings have still never been known!" Why couldn't Katarina-sama accept my feelings? Why did I always feel like my love was a step behind? "Why should your feelings have more of a chance than mine?"

Maria barely saved herself from my strike, but she was backpedaling again, and I had momentum. I had momentum and I had anger. I pushed her again and again. I could have opened new avenues to strike at her rose, but I let her guard just so I could break it, over and over. I needed this. I needed to feel like I was stronger. Like my feelings were stronger. I needed the validation, the catharsis, of pushing her back, making her lose ground.

I needed to push against her feelings, because if they weren't weaker than mine, if she still struggled... then what hope did I have?

"I won't deny your feelings, Mary-san. However," Maria's gaze went to Katarina, a smile full of love lighting her face. "I have already found my miracle."

The heat flooded into me again. She wasn't allowed to have a miracle if I wasn't!

"And did it help?" I shouted, pushing her harder. "Did your feelings get through?" No, they didn't, and her hesitation told me everything. I disarmed her, the blade she had drawn from Katarina's breast flying high into the air as Maria fell to the ground. "I know they didn't. Waiting for a miracle... I spent years hoping for my miracle, for my feelings to be known. That was my mistake. Never again." I raised my blade to strike down and end the duel.

And then a flash of metal darted past my face. I looked down... and my orange rose was skewered at the end of Maria's fallen sword. Katarina ran over to me, and I collapsed into her arms.

"I just need my true feelings to be understood..." Maria joined us in our embrace as tears rolled down my face. I understood then, as I looked at Maria, finding my tears matched in hers. Her miracle wasn't that Katarina had understood her feelings. It was that she had come to understand Katarina's, just a bit.

That's what I had failed to do.

That's what I would learn to do for the woman I loved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still teasing out more information about the spell that started the whole thing. I struggled with the "miracles" motif that's central to Juri's character, and I don't know how well it came out in the end. I hope the alternate viewpoints are enjoyable to read - I had to condense some content on this one just because of how much Mary had been involved in from previous chapters, and it's still the longest one so far! I might need to learn how to be a bit more brief...


	16. I Betrayed My Roommate...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katarina takes sides in the love triangle between Maria, Mary, and Keith, and ends up upsetting someone she didn't expect to.

"Katarina-sama, it's not like you to be studying at this hour!"

Maria walked up and placed a small plate of cookies next to me as I sat at my writing desk. I looked up at her, feeling gratitude like a pain in my chest. Alright, maybe my tummy. It had been a while since I had last gotten to indulge, though I did get out a quick "thank you" before I stuffed the first one in my... daintily ate it.

"M'not shtudy..." I covered my mouth. It really HAD been too long! Where was my self-control? "S-sorry. I'm not studying, really." I flushed with embarrassment, since that's what I should have been doing. "I'm actually doing something for Mary."

"For Mary?" Maria was fiddling with a brush in her hands.

"Yeah... uh..." I slipped it under the other thing on the table. I couldn't tell Maria that I was going to support Mary's crush on Keith in order to keep her distant from my brother until I could be sure there wasn't a doom flag in my future. I hated even having to take sides, considering I would love it if either of them joined my family. "Nothing that can't wait."

"You've been restless lately," she said gently, resting a hand softly on my shoulder. "I was hoping you might let me help you... help you relax," she was fidgeting. "I could brush your hair..."

Ohh that sounded amazing right now. Maria had been so gentle last time (granted, she was brushing the hair on her own head, so the stakes were no doubt higher) and my brain could use a break from wrestling with all of the difficult romantic problems of my friends. All I had nailed down for sure so far was that being transported to Ohtori Academy seemed to have dialed up all of their repressed emotions. Nicol and Sophia, at least, hadn't shown any amorous tendencies yet, but I was already drawing a worst-case scenario diagram in my mind, Sophia going after Geordo, Nicol and Keith competing for Maria's love, Mary still in a love triangle with Maria and Keith, Alan...

...where WAS Alan-sama?

I felt a pleasant shiver run down from my scalp to my spine as Maria began running the brush through my hair. I could feel her fingertips grazing me every so often as she moved to take a new section in hand. Weirdly, I felt like I was almost anticipating it, the more it happened. The stress was melting away from me. It was really too bad... if only Maria was a boy, then Mary could be Keith's wife and Maria could be mine, and we would all be so...

I felt a lump in my throat. The sound of the brush reminded me of that night. My mouth tasted sour.

"You don't have to keep going," my voice felt a bit strangled as I stood up. "I'm just going to sleep on it anyway, it'll get messed up again and I'll ruin all your hard work."

To my surprise, I found myself pushed back down firmly into the chair.

"All the more reason to find any tangles right now. You need to spend more time caring about yourself, Katarina-sama." She smiled as she kept brushing, and I felt my heart leap in gratitude even as it went cold with guilt. All I had been doing was caring about myself. The notes... I was writing tips to Mary about Keith's favorite things, so that she could win him over. Take him from Maria. Save me.

I was grateful that someone was caring about me, but... my eyes were wet and stinging, my chest tight. I looked down so that she wouldn't be able to see my guilt reflected in the mirror. My dear, sweet Maria. The only person who had ever heard me ask that question. The only person I trusted to ask... and I was betraying her.

She finished her brushing and I closed the writing desk, hoping to lie to myself for at least a few moments about what I was doing to our friendship. Her smile was so warm and genuine, and I felt like what I returned was fragile, transparent, and joyless. Why must I be forced into stealing your happiness, Maria-chan?

"You really do too much for me, you know," I told her. "I want to make it up to you. Anything you want me to do."

She flushed pink. "I... uh..." she stepped forward, taking my hand. Was she about to confess her feelings for my brother? Her face tilted up to mine, as though she were going to... I didn't even know. Is that how someone looks when they're about to lean in to whisper a secret? I bent in a little closer, but she dropped my hand and turned away, the blush spreading to the back of her neck. "Um... if it's alright with you, Katarina-sama, I would like to save that request for another time."

"Of course!" I beamed. She didn't look at me again as we got ready for bed. I guess confessions are really embarrassing, even if you're confessing to someone who's only related to your capture target.

Capture target. Doom flag. Those words kept me awake long after Maria's breathing turned shallow. I carefully dropped down from the top bunk, not wanting to disturb her, and used a small reading lamp to light the pages on my writing desk. I didn't even know if this was the right thing, or the right way to go about it. I'd never had a boyfriend, or even been asked out on a date. Sure, I'd gotten engaged to Geordo as a child, but that didn't have anything to do with his feelings or mine. Just a freak accident and courtly manners that had saddled him with a villainess like me. I was basing my theory entirely on romance novels and otome games. Mind you, Keith is an otome game capture target, so really these strategies should be perfect!

I finished my scribbling and folded up the paper, shimmying up the ladder to the upper bunk and keeping my notes concealed under my pillow as I settled in for sleep. The first half of my work was complete.

The next morning, I headed out to the fencing club. Keith smiled at me as I arrived, nodding at a duel going on in the middle of the crowd. A taller male student was dueling Mary. By all appearances, it looked like he had her on the ropes. Guilt washed over me for a second time, this time for not supporting Mary's love sooner. It was obvious she was distracted by yesterday. Not wanting to see her struggle, I slipped away to the lockers.

Deputy Captain... there we go. Carefully, gingerly, I slipped the paper with my notes on ways to win Keith's heart through the crack in the locker door.

"That's not your locker, is it?"

I whirled, my hand hitting the locker door next to Mary's, causing it to swing open, a sword falling out that I quickly caught in my hand. I still had those skills, at least, even if Maria was the one who got to duel rather than me). I looked up from the floor where I'd knelt to catch the blade to see...

ALAN-SAMA!

"What are you doing here?"

Uhh. What. His sword? That would make him...

...the sick fencing captain? Which character was that? I tried to think of an excuse for being here. The sword!

"I was just... polishing this sword!" His eyebrow raised. "Yeah! Uh... they told me the fencing captain was out of school with an illness, so..." I gestured with the sword, causing him to lean back apprehensively. Whoops. Best put that down. "I was just here to make sure it got some attention, and now I'm going to go." Excuses deployed!

"Wait." Waiting deployed. I froze. It had been a weak lie. Could I come up with something better? I turned, a fake smile plastered on my face as I tried to figure out what to do with myself.

He picked up the sword, resting it back in his locker. "That was... nice of you." Alan-sama looked angry, flushed red, but he wasn't looking at me. Maybe he felt bad about leaving his locker unlocked? "You're Mary's friend, right? Katarina Claes?"

"That's me!"

"Alan Stuart. Fencing club captain." He raised his gaze, though I had the distinct impression he was looking above my head. "Listen, uh... that is... I heard you're Engaged to the student council vice president? Is that right?"

"I was. Not anymore, though."

He was still flushed, though he didn't look angry now. "Did you find another guy?"

Huh? Why would I...? Oh. In the dueling game? "No. Why?" I looked at his hand, finding a Rose Seal ring. Aha... he's a duelist, too. "Are you planning to duel for the Rose Bride?" Alan-sama reopened his locker and peeled off his dueling shirt.

Well then. I was definitely flushed. I was definitely looking places that I wasn't supposed to. Mary, you're a lucky girl, if we ever get back to Sorcier.

Alan started putting on a student council coat, white with dark blue trim. It looked more authoritative than Keith's - closer to Nicol's. Button, button, button... covering up, helping to cool the fire in my cheeks. Whew. I should not have been looking at that.

"Claes-kun? What do you think? Is that okay?" I realized I'd missed something he said. He was standing very close. My brain was unfocused. Mary wanted Keith, right? Mary might be dumb.

"Uhh..." brain, don't fail me now.

~~~

"Remind the council of protocol in this scenario," the Chairman demanded. Scholar Katarina pushed up her glasses.

"Traditional response has been to default to Yes and work out the details afterwards. I feel it is required that I point out the consequences of this approach in the past," she reached for the remote to activate the projector, "on which basis I would recommend that Katarina admit she wasn't listening and ask for the question to be - "

Flashing lights circled the council chamber as a fanfare sounded. Scholar Katarina and Chairman Katarina whipped around to see Spineless, Happy, and Fearless with their hands on the button marked Automatic Yes.

"...b-but that button doesn't even work unless the Regrets Later lever is..." Scholar Katarina protested weakly, turning to see the ropes she'd used to secure that dastardly lever had been cut.

~~~

"Yes," I told him. He gave a smile as he turned away, like he was trying to hide it from me.

"That's cool, then. I'll find you after class, okay?"

"Sure, sure," probably just needs tutoring for the schoolwork he missed. He made a poor choice of tutor, but I'd do my best for him anyway.

I left before him, which is probably what kept me from hearing about it until later, when Sophia and some of my Utena-esque schoolgirl admirers came up to my desk before the start of class.

"Is it true, Katarina-sama?" Sophia asked, fidgeting as she toyed with her hair. I gave her a confused look.

One of the schoolgirls clasped her hands, radiating joy. "Of course it's true. They were overheard at the lockers! Katarina-sama, you're so lucky!"

"Alan-sama is such a catch!"

"His first day back to school! Katarina-sama doesn't waste any time, does she?"

I grabbed Sophia and pulled her in close. "What's this about?" my whisper was sharp and urgent.

"They're saying Alan-sama asked you out on a date, and you said yes!" she sounded surprised, and when I looked at her to see if she was joking, her face was dead serious. Even a little frustrated.

Oh no. Did I just become part of a love triangle with Sophia and Alan? How did that even happen? I hadn't accounted for WHOA. WAIT. HOLD ON.

~~~

A whistling wind blew through the council chamber, red lights flashing as TRIPLE MAYDAY blared on the speaker system. The room was quiet, its five occupants lying stunned on the floor.

~~~

Mary walked up to our group as I sat there trying to process what just happened. I beamed at her. "Oh, Mary! Did you get my -"

"Mary-chan! Did you hear Katarina-sama is going on a date with Alan-sama?" one of the girls told her excitedly.

Mary's eyes went wide and her face went red. "Oh is she? That's..." I saw a vein pulse in her forehead. "That's so nice. Excuse me." She ran out of the room.

"You really don't think sometimes, do you?" Sophia's voice was low and dry as she stood to run after Mary. The other girls crowded around me.

Someone had genuinely asked me on a date. I shook my head, unable to believe it.

Why?

And what had I done to my best friend?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At long last, Alan Stuart shows up to join the party. I'm floored by all the support for this story. Thank you all for your comments, I love reading them. Sorry for the shorter chapter, been fighting exhaustion this weekend. Looking forward to the next one soon!


	17. The Look

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katarina goes on a social outing.

"A date?!" Maria's eyes were wide. "With Alan-san?"

I gave a weak smile, still kind of confused about all of it - not to mention embarrassed that I'd agreed to it without thinking. "Yeah, uh... it just kind of happened."

Keith had joined us for lunch and was sipping loudly on a cola. His eyes looked flat for some reason. Was it because I'd made Mary angry? Did he want some alone time with Maria? I'd offered, but both of them had refused so fast you'd have thought I was threatening to cut off their oxygen.

It was kind of cute how they were too awkward to be alone together!

"How..." Maria fidgeted. "What did he say to you... when he asked you?" Keith's flat gaze flicked toward me. Sluuuuuurp.

"Uh..." What HAD he said? What did boys usually say to girls when asking them out? Nobody had ever confessed to me in my first life, and the only time anyone had shown any interest in me in my reincarnation was Geordo way back when I banged my head. Needless to say, I didn't remember any of what he had said that time either.

Oh no! I did it twice! And now with both Stuart brothers! Were they even brothers in this world? No. Need to focus.

Sluuuuuurp. "Don't tell me you forgot, Claes-san? Isn't this going to be your first date?"

Wait, what? I whipped around to look at Keith. "Yes, actually... how did you know?"

His eyes flicked away to Maria. Sluuuuurp. "Lucky guess."

"Please, Katarina-sama," she grabbed my hands in hers, looking at me with a fierce sincerity. How could Maria be so adorable at all times? True heroine energy, I supposed. I was blushing even though I knew she didn't mean anything by it. "You don't remember anything?"

"I was kind of, um, zoned out... when he asked me," I admitted. "I'm sure I'll have a good time, though." At the very least, I could puzzle out his role in the story, and I was happy to have found my missing friend. "Um... Keith-san?"

Sluuuurp. "What?"

"Don't you think maybe you've had enough cola?" Keith was clutching the cup with both hands and his eyes looked a bit bloodshot. He really reminded me of a sugar addict afraid his supply might run out on him any minute - a shameful display, for such a noble brother as mine. He mumbled something into the straw that sounded a bit like "enough Alan" but was probably "enough cola." I rarely have to invoke this privilege, but he was being juvenile. Onee-san mode activate! I pulled the cup away, leaving him sitting there dumbly with a straw hanging out of his mouth.

"This stuff will make you fat and stressed," I lectured him. "What would Mary think about that?" I didn't want to mention Maria with her right in front of us.

"One less rival," he muttered as he reached into his bag and pulled out a bottle of cola. I sighed and stood, taking his face in my hands. The straw dropped out of his mouth as his eyes widened and he flushed.

"You need to take care of yourself, Keith-san, for the people that love you." I still hadn't run into whoever was playing Miki's sister, but I could say with total confidence: "Your sister wouldn't want you getting sick on this stuff, right?" He nodded, still looking flushed. That's what too much sugar and caffeine does to you. Still, he put the bottle away, so I rewarded him with a confidence-boosting smile.

"Did Alan-san tell you what you'd be doing on this date?" Maria probed. Her voice was unusually direct.

"I don't THINK so. We haven't talked all that much. He asked me out only a few minutes after I met him." I squirmed in my chair a bit. That boldness was a very attractive quality - none of the capture targets had that in Fortune Lover. Geordo and Keith were both cocky and manipulative until they opened up to the heroine and softened. As for Alan's route, he was written as a classic tsundere, falling for Maria after first seeing her as a challenger and rival. As for Nicol's route...

"Good afternoon," the student council president greeted as he approached us, Sophia in tow. "It's good to see you again, Claes-san. I'm told you've been asked on a social engagement by Alan Stuart?"

I shot Sophia a confused look. What was she doing, ratting me out? "Is that any of your business, President?"

Nicol's face was serious. "I'm afraid it is. The student council takes fraternization very seriously."

~~~

"QUADRUPLE MAYDAY!"

"Unexpected doom flag," the Chairman pronounced.

Scholar Katarina paged through a glossy magazine entitled COMPREHENSIVE RULES OF THE UTENA UNIVERSE. "I don't remember any rule like that..."

"Shh!" Happy Katarina watched the screen.

~~~

The grin that broke through was dazzling in its charm. "Just teasing. Alan-kun has been under the weather lately and I'm delighted he's found something happy to come back to."

My face was still pale as a sheet. "So... dating is okay?" I confirmed in a tight voice.

"Indeed. We want to encourage the student body..." he paused, looking at Sophia, who nodded, "with opportunities to develop socially. Even our student council members. Good day Claes-san. Campbell-san. I hope to see both of you again soon."

Sophia sat with us as Nicol walked away. I was pretty sure I had caught everything he said, but Maria... Maria was staring after him as he left. The look in her eyes was one I knew all too well - the Devilish Count had sparkled his way through her poor unprepared brain. Come to think of it, Maria had never seen him smile like that back in Sorcier, had she?

"What are you going to wear?"

"Huh?" I looked at Sophia, not following.

She leaned toward me expectantly. "For your date," she reminded me.

"Uh... can't I just wear my uniform? I don't need to be fancy, it's not like that," I laughed, but a look passed between Sophia and Maria as they stood up, each taking one of my arms.

"Hey!" I protested. I heard Keith sigh as we left.

Sluuuuuuuuuurp.

~~~

The gavel wasn't banging - in fact, the main council room lay abandoned. Five miniature Katarinas clustered around the screen in the Style Annex, hands posed over buttons.

BZZT "Too restrictive," Scholar Katarina said tersely of a hip-length sweater with long sleeves. The audio feed chimed in with Katarina's thoughts.

>> Probably a little warm for summer

Maria appeared on the viewscreen, hands moving around Katarina's waist to smooth it. "It fits you so well though, Katarina-sama. Besides, what if it gets cold later?" Maria's smile was angelic as she gave a fond look at the camera. "I don't want to worry about you getting sick."

>> I can bring a coat or something...

"Maria-chan is so nice to worry about Katarina like that!" Happy Katarina burbled.

Sophia was on the screen with a stiff-looking brown top, with poofy shoulders and an unflatteringly high neckline.

DING "This outfit certainly will not give Alan-sama any ideas," Scholar Katarina nodded at her own logic.

BZZT "IT'S BORING"

BZZT "It looks like someone made it out of sun-dried car seat fabric."

BZZT "If Alan-sama has any ideas, shouldn't Katarina support that? Nobody else has ever noticed her..."

On the screen, Maria was shaking her head, and in the mirror Katarina's mouth was twisted in disapproval.

>> Where did you even find this, Sophia? Nobody will look at me twice in this thing!

Sophia mumbled something, and Scholar Katarina worked the tuner to try and clear up the audio feed. It was incomplete, but sounded roughly like "that's the idea."

Katarina lifted a VERY short blue skirt into the camera frame. Maria was turning pink in the background.

DING. Heads whipped around to glare accusingly at Fearless Katarina.

"What? That wasn't me. My judgment is better than that." They looked down the table at Happy Katarina.

"I like blue!" she explained cheerfully.

BZZT. BZZT. BZZT. BZZT.

>> ...Maybe a little much...

Maria came back into frame with a sleeveless, baby-blue cotton sweater.

DING! "I like blue!" Happy Katarina sang. On screen, Katarina took it to try on. Sophia added a knee-length pastel pink skirt. The other four reserved their judgment until Katarina emerged to spin in the mirror. Sophia could be heard gasping and Maria's eyes were shining.

DING! "Maria likes it," Fearless Katarina declared, "so it must be good. Sophia likes it too."

DING! "Sophia is a girl of sound judgment, and Maria would never let Katarina go out looking ridiculous," Scholar Katarina agreed.

BZZT. "...Katarina isn't pretty enough to go out with such a simple outfit..." Spineless Katarina fretted.

Scholar Katarina pondered, then ran back to the council chamber.

~~~

"It's almost perfect," I told the girls. Light, bright, summery... I needed one more thing to make it feel like "me" though. I fiddled around in the closet for several minutes. Would Utena even have one? Aha... a small, white, frilly scarf. I wrapped it around my neck, folding it over to create a fanned faux-tie that reminded me of my favorite outfit from Sorcier.

"Well?"

Sophia had that same flat look Keith was wearing earlier, and I panicked immediately, turning to see if I'd messed up somewhere. Did I forget to zip up the skirt? Was the scarf too much? Maria stepped close and took my hand. Bless her for always knowing the right thing to do - I calmed down immediately.

"Katarina-sama, you look lovely. I'm sure Alan-san will appreciate your new look." That set my brain to ticking, but I ignored it for the moment.

I beamed at her, hugging her close and using a free arm to drag Sophia in for a group hug. "Thank you both!" Honestly, even if the idea of dressing up felt a little silly, the actual experience had been a great way to pass the time.

The time!

"Oh no! Free period is almost over! You girls need to get to class!" I shouted, frantically unzipping the skirt and getting my arms tangled in the sweater. I still needed to wear a uniform to class, even if it was Utena's particularly non-standard one. I wouldn't get away with such a casual outfit. Maria and Sophia took charge of me, helping me get the sweater off. I blushed at the exposure, but I was still basically decent, at least in front of other girls. A few minutes later, I was back in my coat and shorts, and the three of us walked to class. The ticking in my brain came back, and I started humming.

"Um... Katarina-sama?"

"She does that sometimes," Maria smiled at me. "Is this another song about destiny?"

I flushed. "It's actually about something you said." That same CD was still on my mind. " _The look_. I wish I knew all of the words, but my English isn't very good."

"You know," Sophia twirled a strand of hair around her finger, "if you wanted to, sometime, you could maybe... sing it for me? I study English."

"That's an awesome idea! You're the best, Sophia!" She smiled as she looked down at the ground. I had no idea she liked karaoke. This could be fun! We could all go...

~~~

The gavel struck. "Operation: First Date is now in planning. Katarina Claes, you have the floor." Fearless Katarina took over, dressed as a general.

"Alright troops, the goal is very straightforward. As long as we stick to our plan, we can successfully navigate this mission and succeed in our objectives! Are there any questions? Yes, Katarina Claes?"

Spineless Katarina lowered her hand. "Um... what exactly... is our goal?"

"Well..." Fearless Katarina scratched her head. "It's obviously... the measure of our success, as outlined in the plan!"

"But what is it, though? Why is Katarina going on a date with Alan-sama?"

"Because he asked her, silly!" Happy Katarina thought this was quite obvious.

Scholar Katarina pushed her glasses up. "For intelligence-gathering purposes, of course."

"W-what intelligence?"

Scholar Katarina's eyes were imperceptible beneath the shiny lenses. "That's classified."

The gavel banged the table. "Council, the question has been posed, and it is not in the record, so let us discuss: why is Katarina going on this date?"

There was silence for several minutes, then:

"...because it will be fun to spend time with our good friend!"

"...because it would be villainous to disappoint him!"

"...because Katarina has never been in this situation before."

"...because we need to sacrifice for Mary and Keith's love!"

"Is Alan-sama a sacrifice? He's very handsome..." Happy Katarina grinned like a child.

"Too good-looking for the likes of Katarina. She doesn't have any leverage on him," Fearless Katarina sniffed dismissively. "Obviously he's trying to get in good with Mary through us, but Mary loves Keith."

"What about Maria's relationship with Keith, though?"

"Doom flag," the Chairman intoned dramatically. Scholar Katarina nodded.

"It's quite simple. If Maria and Keith end up together, Katarina may end up triggering a doom flag, but if Mary likes Keith and Alan likes Mary, then by dating Alan we're keeping him away from Mary, who can see Keith, who is then kept away from Maria, and Katarina's nieces and nephews will have beautiful brown hair with honey-gold streaks and also Katarina will finally know what it's like to be on a date with a boy," she finished in a rush.

~~~

Alan-sama was waiting for me after class, giving me time to get dressed quickly. It really was a nice, simple outfit. I stepped out into the afternoon sun near the greenhouse. I hadn't done anything special with my hair and I was still wearing normal shoes, but honestly it was a pretty comfortable outfit overall. I mentally thanked Maria and Sophia for helping me with it.

"You look... nice," an awkward male voice said behind me. I turned to see Alan, dressed in his princely white uniform with blue trim, looking a bit uncomfortable.

"You should have changed like me," I teased, enjoying the look of consternation that flashed over his features. Ah, how I missed my old rival. "So... a date. What are we going to do?"

"Um... well, the school has a music room. We could maybe..."

Reflexively I shook my head. "We always - " his eyebrow raised. Oops. I almost messed that up - they don't remember our lives in Sorcier, or our previous relationships. "- that is, we always spend so much time on campus. You know, as students. We could get out to the park, maybe climb a tree?"

He shrugged awkwardly. "No, we've done enough -" his eyes widened and he looked over my head. "- that is, enough time outside for me to feel, uh, refreshed. I'd like to take you somewhere. Could we go into town?"

Phew, he hadn't suspected a thing. "Works for me!"

A tall figure stood in the shadows, stepping forward as we passed.

"Good afternoon, Katarina. Alan." Geordo's usual smile was very faint today. My eyes ran back and forth between the two.

Wait a minute... DID they remember anything about Sorcier? There was an easy way to check, if I was subtle about it.

"Oh! Geordo!" I put on my biggest smile. "I was just going out with Alan Stuart, we're going to see the town. Say," I put my finger up to my mouth in thought, trying to be subtle. "Aren't you both named Stuart? Are you guys like, brothers or something?" Nailed it!

Alan opened his mouth, but Geordo walked past him without so much as a look.

"I have no brother."

Alan was blushing and his mouth closed. I guess he thought it was a foolish and presumptuous question because of the last name. How utterly frustrating for them not to realize that it was actually true!

We walked down the hill, chatting lightly about the campus and our classes. The whole time, I was turning over in my mind who Alan-sama could have replaced as a character. Blue was supposed to be emblematic of Miki Kaoru, who was taken over by Keith, and Alan's blue was much darker, with stark white trousers and a fancier coat. Hmm. If only I could get that song out of my head. Stupid catchy Roxette. Hmhmhmhm The Look.

"What did you want to check out in town?"

"Well, we should probably find something to eat, and then we could look around."

"Don't worry on my account," I told him. "I'm not," my traitorous stomach announced itself. "uhh... not going to argue if you think that's a good plan, though." Out of the corner of my eye, I spied a clothing shop. "Actually... I just want to pop in there for a moment." I had a couple of purchases to make.

"I'm not sure that's... I'll wait out here, then," he blushed as he noticed the mannequins displaying women's underclothes. I gave him a smile and popped in quickly, asking the clerk for help with what I needed, and within a few minutes was back out with a small bag in my hand.

"Um... should I ask?"

"None of your business, Alan Stuart - aha!" I grabbed his hand and dragged him at full run toward the restaurant I spotted, pressing my hands on the glass so I could peer inside and confirm my hopes.

"Katarina-san, you should really consider your be... hm." He sniffed the air. "What is that? It smells pretty good..."

"Come in and find out!" I stopped in the doorway, reaching out to him with a grin. Gingerly, he took my hand and I pulled him through, the two of us taking a seat. The server came over to greet us.

"Two tonkotsu ramen, please!" The server nodded and headed back to the kitchen. Alan looked confused.

"Ton... what is it?"

"You'll see," I grinned, enjoying the moment. It was rare for me to know something that Alan didn't. The server returned with two bowls of pork ramen, condiments, and chopsticks. I couldn't help tweaking Alan just a little more.

"Could you bring my friend a spoon? I don't think he knows how to use chopsticks." It was true - Alan was looking at the sticks as though I were playing a trick on him, and when he heard the tone of my voice he glared at me.

"What kind of game are you playing, Katarina Claes? You think I'm a fool? You can't eat soup with a pair of... of sticks!"

Deftly - alright, I admit, less deftly than I'd like, but in fairness it had been years since I'd last used them - I took up some noodles and slurped them down, then gave him a challenger's smirk. His face turned red.

"If you don't have the practice, it's perfectly fine, Alan-sama. You could just drink from the bowl. Like a child," I teased, and I could see him glaring at his ramen like he wanted to kill it. Carefully he picked up his chopsticks, scissoring them together in an X pattern, and clumsily pulled a couple of noodles out of the broth, which immediately slithered back down and spattered him with broth droplets.

"You'll never get it done like that," I sighed, unable to hide my smile completely.

"How, then? Show me!" he insisted, jamming his hand toward me. I reached out to adjust his fingers, sliding the chopsticks between them, showing him how to grip and catch. His next attempt was a miss, but on his third try, he was able to pinch up some noodles and a bit of pork belly and get them into his mouth. 

"I did it!" the pride was audible, but I giggled as I pointed to all of the spatter on his white uniform. Glowering at me, he unsnapped the buttons and opened the coat wide, revealing a black T-shirt underneath. I busied myself with the condiments, adding a bit of garlic and a good shake of chili pepper.

"Mm, spicy!" I was in heaven - real Japanese food, the kind I hadn't had in far too long. I had added a bit too much chili pepper, but it was still savory, the rich broth and noodles a perfect counterpoint, filling a hollow deep within my soul that I didn't know was empty until now. When I managed to stop basking in the flavor long enough to look at Alan, I saw him fighting with his noodles, chopsticks picking at them, his face a mask of concentration, beaded with sweat. The chili pepper was on his side of the table.

"Uh... Alan-san, how much chili pepper did you put in there?"

He looked up, sweaty but grinning smugly. "More than you."

A flash of red crossed my vision, and I spun my chopsticks into attack mode. "It's like that, is it?"

He sat back, looking smug as he sipped his water. "Just trying to impress my date - hey, what are you doing?"

I set down the chili pepper, seeing much more red in my remaining broth than could possibly be a good idea, but he'd stirred my competitive side and I couldn't back down now.

"Just trying to impress my date," I gave him a falsely cheerful smile as I took a bite to prove I could handle it. Sweat. Pain. Fire. Mistakes have been made.

"We'll see about that," he said loudly as he grabbed it back and added even more to his ramen. His next bite looked like it was going to kill him - red like a lobster, I knew if we still had our magic here at Ohtori then Alan's water nature would have surely resulted in steam coming out of his ears. Gleeful at my certain triumph, I took another bite. Burning. Alarm bells. Inappropriate novels. Alan took another, and I felt obliged to keep going. I wouldn't let him outdo me at FOOD.

I looked at my empty water glass.

Yes, yes I would. "More water!" I croaked out, and Alan wordlessly raised his emptied glass as well. It didn't really help, but after we'd each downed another glass, we looked at one another and broke down laughing.

"Do I dare ask about dessert?" he quipped. A mental image of Maria's sweets fluttered around in my head. I tried picturing a traditional Japanese sweet of any kind, but the pictures kept getting knocked aside.

"I don't think either of us are ready for that," I giggled. We paid our bills, apologized to the server for causing a fuss, and quickly fled the scene.

Before long, we found ourselves poking through a few of the shops. This world echoed the 1990s, before I was born, and it was interesting to see all of the retro fashions. I pulled Alan into a music store, wanting to see if I could find a copy of that CD the exchange student had left. He looked around skeptically, fingers brushing the CD cases.

"There's music here?" he said skeptically. What a snob, pretending he wouldn't find music here. I flipped through the imports section. Aha... let's see Alan-sama the pianist try this! I asked the shop clerk if we could test a song from this particular CD. It wasn't my kind of music, but my oldest brother had liked this one. Alan walked over to see what I was up to, and I slipped a pair of earphones on his head.

"Katarina, what - hmm..." his eyes went wide, head nodding, fingers twitching. The pianist was in there somewhere. I didn't know what the song was about, having had to go by the picture on the cover, but the clerk had called it _Bat Out Of Hell_. All I knew was that there was a very fast piano bit at the start of the song. I left him to it while I continued searching the imports... nothing. Darn. I looked back to see if Alan was done, only to find him buying that CD.

"What?" he looked away, blushing. "It was different. I'm... curious."

"You liiiike it," I teased as we walked, shivering a bit in the cool evening air.

"I'm curious about it," he stressed stiffly. I felt something land on my shoulders. What... uh. Alan's coat. I looked up at him again, but he was facing forward, ignoring the nice thing he'd just done for me. My hand stroked the fabric as I tried to process what was going on. He was being so nice to me...

"So, uh..." he wasn't looking at me. "You're good friends with Mary Hunt, right?"

The reminder of why were on this date to begin with hit me like a tidal wave. Mary was portraying Juri Arisugawa, the deputy fencing captain, and Alan - her fiancé - was the captain. Out sick for the start of school. Missing the start of the story. He was...

...that guy! Drat, what was his name? The character who was in love with Juri and went out with her friend, with the dark blue hair. Oooh... it was so frustrating not to remember that part of the show as well. It was the third story arc, and he was just kind of an extra character.

"Excuse me?" Alan stopped walking and glared down at me.

"Huh?"

"Did you just call me an extra character?"

Whoops. I really had to figure out how to stop that from happening. "No no!" I protested quickly. "I was just -" 

Alan ran his hand through his hair and sighed. "I don't even know why I'm here," he muttered. "I should be with Mary. I like Mary."

For some reason this comment froze me in place. I had known it was coming, and yet it still stopped me short.

"You... like Mary?"

He looked at me, faint surprise on his stupid handsome face. "Of course I do. She's beautiful, elegant, smart, graceful," he frowned down at the ground, scuffing it with his shoe. "Why wouldn't I pick Mary?"

That look, in that moment, made me feel foolish for not having realized sooner. "She's everything I'm not," the words came out sounding flat and sour.

"Yes," his eyes widened and he looked at me in panic. "No! That's not what I-"

"I know exactly what you meant. You're right, of course." I threw his stupid coat in his stupid face. "It's fine. Go see if Mary will have you, you rude, arrogant, no-appeal... AARGH!" I barely even noticed the cold as I ran up the hill toward the dorms.

I wanted to believe it was frustration about my doom flag plan falling apart. I wanted to believe I was indignant on Mary's behalf, that her fiancé was such a jerk. I even tried to believe it was some sort of heartbreak at Alan-sama's feelings for someone else, just for a moment. It wasn't, though, and that's what hurt most of all. I felt the tears stinging in my eyes again as I reached our dorm.

I felt lied to. I felt used. I felt pitied. I felt pointless. It was so obvious I could kick myself. I was the villainess, no matter how they dressed me up, just like that pink-haired creature who broke Juri's heart by dating whatsisname. He just wanted to get close to me so he could get closer to Mary. How dare...

My hand trembled on the door handle. I wanted it to be "how dare he," but it wasn't.

How dare I? How dare I deceive myself like that? I had resigned myself to the villainess role long ago. I was far older than anyone around me. I had known them all as game characters, as two-dimensional, scripted, fake...

The door opened, and I was hugged by something blonde that smelled of hope and light.

They're not the people from the game. They're real. I'm the one who's fake.

Somehow, it was coldly comforting to realize that. It helped me put my feet back under me. I sat while Maria brought over tea and an iced brownie. It was a few minutes before she broke the ice.

"It wasn't what you had hoped?" she asked solicitously. I sighed, the warmth of the tea helping to settle me.

"Honestly, Maria, I didn't really hope for anything. Alan-san doesn't like me in that way," she blinked a few times, "and I'm too mature for him." Maria covered her mouth with her hand to cough. Uh oh. I hoped she wasn't getting sick again. "If I'm being honest, I'm mostly upset that it didn't go the way they always say it should. I never got to have a first date before."

"...I'm a bit confused, Katarina-sama. How could you have possibly had a first date before? It would always have to be your first." My eyes went wide. For all the effort I put into not confusing them with reminders of Sorcier, I'd accidentally let slip something about my very first life!

"Well..." I tried to cover hastily, "you can have a first date with each person you date, right? So this was my first... first... date," I finished lamely. Maria nodded as she looked at the bag I had brought back with curiosity. Oh right. I'd totally forgotten. "This is for you, by the way." I handed it over.

"What... are these?"

She pulled out a pair of tights, one of several I'd bought in the store on the way to the restaurant.

"They should cover you more than those long stockings." I remembered she'd still been feeling uncomfortable with the skin showing between her skirt and the tops of the thigh-high stockings we'd found for her. No surprise, really, considering how modest she was in Sorcier. When I set down my tea, her eyes were filled with tears. Oh no! Had I made her feel self-conscious by pushing these on her?

"Y-you don't have to wear them if you're uncomfortable, or if they aren't your style," I babbled quickly. "I just thought -"

She gave me an angelic smile, eyes still watery, and for a moment I forgot all of my sadness as well. "That was very kind of you, Katarina-sama."

"Well, even a villainess has her moments," I chuckled softly. At least some good had come out of tonight. I had put my finger on why I was so upset, though, and it quickly sapped my good feelings away.

I'd never had a first date in my first life. I wouldn't have one in Sorcier, either, as the villainess, but I wasn't born a villainess in my first life. It was something I had lost when I died, and this chance to finally get it... was spoiled. My villainess fate had chased me to Ohtori Academy. Worse still, I'd let myself forget that, even though I knew from the start that he was just working toward Mary.

"Um... Katarina-sama?" I looked up. "You have a bit of icing..." Maria reached out, her thumb gently brushing my cheek, catching stray icing. No sense wasting it, right? I leaned forward to eat it.

Maria squeaked and I realized what I was doing. Her thumb was in my mouth.

"Sorry! Sorry sorry sorry! I should know better!" I apologized. Maria waved it off, saying it was fine, but her blushing face showed how scandalized she was. As we went to bed, I noticed she was still blushing. I should know better, indeed, especially after this fiasco with Alan.

A villainess isn't allowed to have these kinds of emotions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this one was worth the wait - another extra-long chapter.


	18. Chances

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alan Stuart arrives at Ohtori and reflects on his entry into the game.

"I still don't get it," I told my fiancée bluntly, causing her to shake her glossy brown locks at me in exasperation.

Sophia Ascart stepped forward and put her hand on Mary's arm. "Please, Mary-chan, allow me to try." She squirmed, searching for the words. "It's... a special spell, to communicate with Katarina-sama."

I raised an eyebrow. "Have you tried just talking to her?"

"Literally every day," Keith Claes shook his head, sighing.

"Any chance I get," Nicol Ascart said, looking off dreamily.

"Many times," Maria Campbell admitted.

"She never understands," Sophia said in a small voice.

My twin brother ran his hand through his hair, exhibiting frustration the way I'd rarely seen. Everything else came so easily to him... it was honestly kind of amusing that he could have this much trouble with the girl he was already engaged to. "I'm half convinced that she only accepted my proposal -" his eyes widened "-TWICE, no less, because she was daydreaming and didn't hear me." He smoothed his blonde hair and gave me his most I'm-not-manipulating-you-but-do-what-I-say smile. "This might be the biggest favor I've ever had to ask from you, Alan."

I hid my grin at that. "You're really telling me you've all told her and she still doesn't understand? Despite being engaged to you, Geordo? I find that hard to -" I trailed off as I thought of all the times Katarina would drift into her own little world, mumbling about flags, asking me if I was thinking of being unfaithful in my vow to Mary in order to pursue Maria Campbell of all people; her gardening and tree-climbing and fishing; her general recklessness; her complete lack of self-awareness, endearing and stupid in equal measure. I sighed. "Yeah, that idiot, I guess I can believe it," I grumbled. "I still don't see why you need me. Mary has water magic."

Mary looked like she wanted to agree with me, but she gripped her skirts tightly and stepped forward beside Geordo to plead her case. "Water magic is needed to reflect the world of the story and allow us to be immersed in it without making waves or causing too many ripples in the alternate reality. The level of control required..." she flushed, looking angry with herself for having to admit weakness at all. "It's too much for one person. I'm almost there, I just need a little help."

"A little help."

"Very little. You'll barely even need to participate." She smiled at me in a way that made me flush red as she stepped forward and took my arm. My fiancée is a very beautiful woman, and someone I want to give my life to... I think. I shook thoughts of another beautiful brunette out of my head. I was lucky to be engaged to Mary, and happy to be very good friends with Katarina. My brother's fiancée. Off limits. Not that that mattered, I reminded myself. I was lucky to be engaged to Mary. "Just a little help. It's not like you have any reason to participate further," she said in a flat tone that came across more as a demand, somehow. I flushed again - could she read minds?

I sighed. "Alright, you got me. Are you sure she'll agree to this, though?

~~~

It was a frustrating scene to retread in my mind as I lay in the hospital, a strange place with a lot of gleaming metal and various kinds of cloth that had an uncomfortable texture, some transparent like glass. Thoughts that belonged to someone else kept flickering into the corners of my mind, populating them with words and ideas that seemed supplied for convenience rather than meaningful understanding. Plastic, these materials were called, though what that meant about their origins was anyone's guess.

What frustrated me most was being back in a situation where I would fall behind because of my health, an ugly reminder of a dark period in my childhood - a time that had left me, back then, with a deep-seated inferiority complex where Geordo was concerned. The golden-haired twin who had all the time in the world to master every skill princes were taught, and I was the invalid, the knock-off, the extra child. Nothing for me to do but play catch-up. It was infuriating that I would now have to catch up with six rivals for -

\- whoa. Hold on. Rivals for what?

Oh no. No, no, no.

It wasn't the first time I'd recognized that something was out of joint in my friendship with Katarina Claes. My brother's fiancée, a wild and untamed girl who had shocked noble Geordo Stuart out of his complacency and boredom. A rival who had captured the attention of my own fiancée, and insulted me to my face when I challenged her on it. Naive, foolish, good-natured to a fault... weirdly keen in certain areas, surprisingly brilliant in others. I flashed back to that time... every few days I would be back at the Claes household. To challenge her. That had been all.

It was only years later, when her life was in danger, that I recognized something I'd been unable to name up to that point. My feelings for Katarina weren't friendship, or pity, or condescension, or even rivalry. I didn't think she was foolish or silly or frivolous. I had a fiancée who would be the envy of any man in Sorcier: beautiful, elegant, smart, graceful. Mary Hunt was everything I could ever hope for. 

But she wasn't Katarina.

At that time, it had hit me like a bolt of lightning. My fear of losing her had become something more, exposing something raw, a gnawing, terrible yearning I didn't ever realize was there. I was in love with my brother's fiancée.

Since then, I'd been trying to move past that - even if it seemed like Katarina was disengaged from her own engagement, even when it seemed like my own fiancée might still be harboring more attraction to her than to me. I like Mary. She has many fine qualities. She makes me feel at ease. I don't get flustered with her, or wrong-footed, or have to try and figure out my feelings. Could that be enough? It was more than I deserved, the spare twin. It wasn't what Mary deserved, though.

My intention had been to not get involved. I was doing this for my brother, whose fiancée didn't know her engagement had become the closest matter to Geordo's heart; I was doing this for my old friends, the Ascarts, whose whole family had been brightened by Katarina's friendship without her understanding the gift she had given them; I was doing it for a new friend, a girl who poured out so much kindness that nobody but Katarina could possibly reciprocate it all; for Katarina's adopted brother, who had the most time with her but the farthest distance to cross.

I was doing it for my fiancée, because if these were her true feelings, then this is what she deserved.

Of course, stuck in a hospital bed with what was basically a cold... that wasn't what I'd had in mind for "not participating." The intrusive and nebulous memories of the storybook character I was portraying told me I was a student at an elite school, as were the others; that I was a school idol, captain of the fencing club, a student council member. They told me the significance of the letter, when it came, signed by an unknown party calling themselves "End of the World." I was to be discharged from the hospital.

Not participating. Not involved. Not going to forget my betrothal. Not going to interfere in my twin's happiness.

Not going to waste my chance.

That last one was the only thought in my mind when I saw her, dressed even more scandalously than the other girls at this school, who at least had skirts (so short, though, that it hardly mattered) rather than this... strange getup. Even making excuses for skulking around the locker room and clumsily dropping swords, she was striking, the intense beauty and radiant kindness flowing from her like heat from a fire.

Not going to waste my chance. The flickering memories came back, showing me this same scene, showing me aggressively entering her personal space, making my move with a lover's confidence. I blushed and looked away. The memories were sure that I could do this, but I could never do THAT. Not that way. I realized from back when the girls had described the spell that Katarina, as the subject, would be fully immersed in the setting and not know who we were, beyond the roles she had assigned us. I would have to introduce myself.

I could make a new first impression.

"You're Mary's friend, right? Katarina Claes?"

That's me!"

"Alan Stuart. Fencing club captain." The flickering memories were back, teaching me words. Rose Bride. Engaged. Duels. An image of Geordo in a uniform similar to mine, his arm around Katarina. An image of rose petals scattering, and a faceless duelist, dressed like me, leading Katarina away. It seemed too good to be true, but...

"Listen, uh... that is... I heard you're Engaged to the student council vice president? Is that right?"

"I was," she shrugged. "Not anymore, though." Her smile seemed genuine. Poor Geordo, I thought, but better he finds out now. Still... I tried not looking at her directly, so that she wouldn't be able to read my eyes.

"Did you find another guy?"

"No. Why? Are you planning to duel for the Rose Bride?" Yes, if that's what it takes, but if the Engagement is broken and she doesn't have someone right now... I turned to strip off my dueling coat, thinking of how I would do it, silently screaming at the flickering memories to leave me in peace as they showed me in indelicate situations with Katarina.

"I thought maybe we could, you know..." Argh. It turns out this is much harder when adults haven't simply pointed you at your chosen betrothed and provided you the formalities. How do commoners do this? "I'd like to ask you to join me for..." SHUT UP, MEMORIES. "...uh, for an outing together, this evening." An outing? I kicked myself mentally, but when I looked at Katarina, her cheeks were pink and she seemed lost in thought. 

A bit too lost, though. "Claes-kun? What do you think? Is that okay?"

"Yes," she told me, and I had to turn quickly to hide the ridiculously goofy smile that threatened to split my face. I composed myself and tried to stay proper, cool, collected.

"That's cool, then. I'll find you after class, okay?"

"Sure, sure." Did I just... oh wow, I thought as she left and my brain returned to full function. I think I just successfully asked to court Katarina!

I was so excited as I ran out of the building that I nearly collided with Mary. Uh oh... I hadn't seen her since this whole thing started.

"Good morning, Alan-sama," she smiled sweetly, but her eyes were filled with a calculating look. "Or perhaps, I should say Alan-san, as there are no princes in this world."

"Fine by me," I scoffed. "I'm just as happy with you dropping honorifics entirely, if it's just us." She blushed very faintly, and I felt a bit of pink in my cheeks too. She really was more than I deserved.

"A-anyway," her brow furrowed as she looked away. "The student council is meeting. Now that you're here," did she actually just GROWL that bit? "you need to attend. Come along."

We walked toward the main tower in silence, stepping into a cagelike room. Mary pressed a button and the floor seemed to shift under us, forcing me to catch myself. She gave an amused smile as a fluttering memory sparked into my mind, assuring me this was normal.

"So, uh... Geordo and Katarina are no longer engaged, it seems?"

"Geordo is no longer Engaged to Katarina, no," Mary's voice had a satisfied note to it, but there was still an edge there.

"...and you?" I asked quietly. Mary gave a start, then looked down and blushed, still pouting.

"I'm closer to her than ever before, and yet..." she shook her head as the room stopped moving, the doors opening to reveal an ostentatious white balcony and our assembled friends.

"Alan!" Nicol didn't exactly smile, but I could tell he was happy to see me.

"We were wondering when you'd join us," Geordo's smile was maybe half-sincere, but that was still a big step up. Sophia gave me a friendly curtsy, which forced me to lock my eyes on a point above her head. The skirts... really, Katarina, why is THIS a part of the story you chose? I could feel the heat in my cheeks. Maria Campbell was wearing the same thing, only with long stockings that were somehow more suggestive than Sophia and Mary's total exposure. I was beginning to grow seriously concerned that I would faint of shock if this kept up. Keith had the good graces to look at least half as scandalized as I did.

"A bit much, I know," he sighed to me. "What goes through the head of that sister of mine..."

"Now that we're all here," Nicol opened the meeting, "we need to discuss where we're at, and why Alan has suddenly joined us. Not that I'm unhappy to see you, but the story left you out at the beginning..."

I pulled the letter out of my pocket, eliciting looks of recognition from the others. Nicol reached into his coat to retrieve one.

"This, uh... 'End of the World' person..." I passed the letter to Geordo to review, slowly circling it around. "The letter said Mary was keeping me in the hospital." Her eyes widened. "I don't believe it," I assured her, "but I do wonder what these are all about."

"The dueling game," Sophia said softly. "The letters tell us who gets the next chance to duel for Katarina's hand."

I raised an eyebrow, even as the flickering memories whipped through my mind, assuring me that what she said was true. "Duel for her? She's a person, not a trophy. The whole point of this was to show her your true feelings, not treat her like something of Geordo's that he could wager and lose. Sorry, Geordo," I added quickly as I saw him tense.

Maria stepped forward. "I agree," she offered earnestly, but at the same time Sophia was shaking her head, Keith looked away uncomfortably, and Nicol's gaze on all of us was more calculating than I'm used to.

"The problem," Mary advanced, cutting off Maria, "is that no matter how we feel about it, Katarina is the one who picked this story. It may not sound fair or proper, but it's how she chose, in her heart, to have us reveal our feelings to her."

"Does she know that?"

"We're not sure," Nicol offered, "but we don't think so. She doesn't talk about Sorcier at all, or recognize Keith as her brother. That is in line with our understanding of the spell's immersion component."

"So what you're basically saying," I realized, "is that we're pouring out our feelings to a Katarina who doesn't know us and is functionally a stranger with the same face and name. Is that how this has ended up?" Silence fell on the group.

"She's not," Maria said quietly, "...she's not a stranger to me. She is Katarina."

"You don't remember," Geordo looked at me awkwardly, "how it was in the Book of Desires."

"He didn't get as far - " Mary covered her mouth suddenly. "Ahem. The point is, Katarina is here with us, just in a way that separates the context of our real lives from the feelings we experience. Geordo is no longer a prince or engaged to her, Keith is no longer her adoptive brother..."

"You're still her best friend, though," Geordo's smile was tight. Mary put her hands on her hips and glared at him.

"Of course I am! Nobody could ever take that place from me!"

"Alright, well..." I trailed off as I looked at Nicol's letter. "Have we even figured out who or what this 'End of the World' is?"

"Not yet," Nicol took back the letter, "and we'll follow the instructions until we know more. As far as we know, these come from Katarina's own subconscious. We can't risk stepping out of line until we know more."

The council broke there, and I headed down to attend my first classes at Ohtori Academy, not giving a damn about the dueling game. The letter hadn't said I couldn't court Katarina. 

Not going to waste my chance.

~~~

As I waited in the courtyard by the ornate cage-like greenhouse, Katarina stepped out of the shadows and into the afternoon sun, wearing a different outfit - slightly more modest, but without sleeves, and still showing more leg than would be appropriate anywhere in the Kingdom of Sorcier. Baby blue fabric, pale pink, and a white scarf that emphasized the elegant sweep of her neck. I felt simultaneously overdressed and uncomfortably drab, staring at her looking like springtime and light.

"You look... nice," is how I managed to greet her. Good job, fourth prince, I mentally kicked myself.

"You should have changed like me," she teased, which only made it worse. "So... a date. What are we going to do?"

Uh. I rubbed the back of my head as I thought quickly - I hadn't actually planned anything to do together! What DO couples do when courting? I could perform for her, maybe... "Um... well, the school has a music room. We could maybe..." but she was already shaking her head.

"We always - "

Always? "We" had never done anything in this story, and the fluttering memories weren't filling in anything I should know. Did she remember Sorcier after all?

"- that is, we always spend so much time on campus. You know, as students. We could get out to the park, maybe climb a tree?"

Ah. No, she didn't. Tree-climbing? There had been too much of that as kids already. "No, we've done enough -" Whoops. I had to remember that she didn't know, and not reference things from our other life. "- that is, enough time outside for me to feel, uh, refreshed. I'd like to take you somewhere. Could we go into town?"

A tall figure stood in the shadows, stepping forward as we passed.

"Good afternoon, Katarina. Alan." Geordo had a razor-thin smile on his face. I froze, but stood my ground - he was part of the group that dragged me into this, after all; he made this choice and knew the risks.

"Aren't you both named Stuart? Are you guys like, brothers or something?" Katarina asked innocently. Uh oh... how to respond to that? I tried to silently communicate to my twin with my eyes, but he was looking past me.

"I have no brother," he said coldly, nearly hitting me with his shoulder as he walked past us. I colored with anger at that - even if I understood the why of it, and I suspected it was more than just the deniability for the sake of keeping the storybook world in order, it was still the most dismissive thing he'd ever said about me. His rancor gnawed at me all the way down the hill, until Katarina's touch on my arm brought me back into focus.

"What did you want to check out in town?"

Uh. I really needed to plan further ahead. The best delaying tactic would be... oh, well, of course. It's Katarina. There's one thing she will always agree to.

"Well, we should probably find something to eat, and then we could look around."

She agreed, though we stopped at a store that... what were they selling? I could feel my whole face going red as she slipped into the building to purchase... I didn't even want to know what, though my mind raced. The window had featured faceless statues wearing very, very little - what could she possibly be purchasing in there? And why? 

When she came out again, I couldn't muster a better conversation starter than "Um... should I ask?"

"None of your business, Alan Stuart - aha!" She grabbed my hand, her delicate touch making my eyes widen, and pulled me toward an eatery surrounded by a rich, savory smell. She led me in and ordered food for both of us, something I'd never heard of.

"Ton... what is it?"

"You'll see," she teased, and within minutes she was proven correct - large bowls of a rich-smelling broth with noodles and other things floating in it.

And, for some reason, they gave me a pair of sticks instead of a fork, knife, and spoon. What? What even was this? I looked over at my date, my childhood rival, who was grinning like a cat. A prank, obviously. "What kind of game are you playing, Katarina Claes? You think I'm a fool? You can't eat soup with a pair of... of sticks!" She smirked as she proved that yes, in fact, she could. That made me glare even harder. I couldn't fail at eating food, of all things, especially with her seeming to do it so easily. I demanded she show me how it was done, and the next thing I knew, her hands were all over mine, moving the sticks around, adjusting the position of my fingers. It felt uncomfortably intimate and yet so innocent at the same time. I turned my attention away from her smooth arched brows and bright eyes to try this new method. The first and second times were no good, but on the third - "I did it!" I said, more pride in my voice than I had meant to share as I slurped up a few noodles, resulting in broth spattering on my white coat and Katarina giggling at me. Fine, I didn't need the coat on anyway, I had an undershirt. As I unbuttoned, I saw her shaking red flakes into her bowl, and commenting on the spiciness. Was it another challenge? I took the shaker and added a bit more than what she had. I wouldn't be outdone on this!

I might be, though. It was quite a bit spicier than I expected, but when Katarina looked up with concern, I was able to grin through the sweat and fire. I win this round, Katarina Claes!

"Uh... Alan-san, how much chili pepper did you put in there?"

"More than you."

"It's like that, is it?" Oho - her chopsticks pointed toward me as though she planned to joust. I had her attention now. I sat back smugly, sipping on water, which sadly didn't help with the burn.

"Just trying to impress my date," I teased her as she reached for the shaker. "Hey, what are you doing?"

"Just trying to impress my date," she fired back with an overly cheerful smile. Oh no you don't. I wouldn't be beaten on our first date. My competitive nature rose up within me like a roaring lion. Moments later, as I blinked back sweat and tears, I noticed the spicy flakes were also rising up within me like a roaring lion. Katarina looked just as unraveled as I felt, though on her the sweat was more of a beautiful glow instead of my awkward sodden brow. Our eyes met, and we broke down into laughter as she called for more water. We couldn't finish our food - it was a shame, actually, that we had pushed ourselves like that. It really was quite tasty. We paid for the meal and she led me into what she said was a music store, which made little sense to me - there were no instruments, just rows and rows of hard "plastic" tiles with bright, garish artwork.

"There's music here?" I was dubious, but Katarina grinned at me like she knew a secret and flipped through a sea of the "plastic" tiles to find a red one with demonic imagery. What could this possibly be? She handed it to the shopkeep, and I followed to see what she was getting up to, only for her to whirl on me with something like earmuffs in her hands, slipping them onto my head. "Katarina, what - hmm..." 

Music filled my ears, music like I'd never heard before. Oh, it was piano, alright, though tuned to a less grandiose timbre than the instruments I knew - but the speed, the chaos, and then some kind of screaming instrument joined alongside a driving, insistent drum rhythm. She walked away, leaving me twitching my fingers as I tried to follow the pattern of the piano, now accompanying a male singer performing in a language I didn't know.

"This is fascinating," I said to the shopkeeper. "Would I be able to buy this?" He nodded politely, and when Katarina rejoined me I was the new owner of a red "plastic" tile with demonic artwork.

"What?" I looked away, not wanting to admit how intrigued I was by this new music. "It was different. I'm... curious." About the music, or about the girl who had sought it out to share something new and magical with me?

"You liiiike it," she teased as we left the store. Her shoulders were shivering a bit and she was gripping her arms. I tossed my coat over her to keep her warm.

"I'm curious about it," I made sure to emphasize. "So, uh..." Change the topic. "You're good friends with Mary Hunt, right?" Why was I thinking about my fiancée at a time like this?

Katarina seemed to be daydreaming again, though she was mumbling to herself and not looking at me. Uh oh - had I offended her by talking about another girl on our date? Was this the fatal misstep?

"He's just kind of an extra character," she muttered softly, and I froze.

Extra. Spare. Knock-off. The echoes of my childhood pulsed in my hears like a tidal wave. 

"Did you just call me an extra character?"

"No no!" she backpedaled "I was just -" but there it was. I was just an extra for Geordo, her actual fiancé. Geordo, who loved her to the depths of his heart. Geordo, who had asked for her hand in marriage and been approved. Just like I'd asked for Mary. I was betraying both of them, and for what? For a girl I loved, who still only saw me as the spare twin?

I ran my hand through my hair and sighed. "I don't even know why I'm here," I muttered, realizing how far I'd overstepped. "I should be with Mary." She was my fiancée, I had made a promise. "I like Mary."

It was true. I liked Mary. I just loved someone else.

"You... like Mary?" Katarina's eyes were wide, her eyebrows raised. I couldn't read her expression.

"Of course I do. She's beautiful, elegant, smart, graceful," I frowned down at the ground, scuffing it with his shoe, mentally kicking myself for overreaching. My fiancée was too good for me, and yet she had still agreed to marry me. "Why wouldn't I pick Mary?" I asked myself, knowing the answer. I wouldn't pick Mary because it wasn't about beauty, or elegance, or intelligence, or grace. I wouldn't pick Mary because someone else made every moment of my life brighter. It was the one thing Mary didn't have.

"She's everything I'm not," Katarina's voice was small and flat.

"Yes," I said absently - OH NO. WHY DID I SAY THAT? "No! That's not what I-"

"I know exactly what you meant. You're right, of course." My coat whacked me in the face. "It's fine. Go see if Mary will have you, you rude, arrogant, no-appeal... AARGH!" She ran off, leaving me alone on the path up to campus, looking and feeling like a prime idiot. 

What an accomplished first day of school, Alan Stuart. Abandoned your fiancée, already much too good for you, to chase after the only person who could outshine her - your twin brother's fiancée, no less, then insulted that girl to her face by comparing her to the girl you betrayed. I slumped down on a nearby bench. Maybe I really was the extra character, just an awkward and ungainly bump on the road of my brother's love. Mary's love. Katarina's love, whoever she ended up loving. After tonight... I mentally kicked myself again. After tonight, it wouldn't be me. I sighed in the chilly air as I leaned back, looking up at the stars.

They'd released me from the hospital, but it seemed I was still sick.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Listening to way too much 80s/90s music as I write this, I swear. I may have to put an angst tag on this story if I keep throwing this dramedy-of-errors stuff at the characters, though...


	19. Queen of Rain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maria and Geordo discuss the subject of their mutual affection.

"So that's the plan," Mary Hunt said as she rolled up the ancient scroll. My mind was still swimming with everything that she had told me. I remembered watching the alternate worlds of the Book of Desires alongside her, seeing our friends express their desires for Katarina-sama, each in their own way...

Could this spell really do that? Allow us to convey our true feelings to her? I shifted in my chair, uncomfortably aware of how much I hoped for an opportunity like this. I had tried, of course, to share my true feelings with Katarina-sama. She would ask, many times, who I liked, but... she always seemed disappointed when I would tell her that I was most fond of her. It was so strange, each time... to see her happy and yet sad, seeming so confused, as though she were expecting me to reveal a secret love for someone else.

But who else could take her place in my heart?

"It's a complex piece of magic," I offered quietly, my mind still spinning. I had misgivings about doing this, despite my hopes, my secret dreams, the warm glow in my belly as I pictured Katarina-sama finally understanding... but of course, each of the others would have their chance, as well, and surely... I felt myself go pale as I looked down at my shoes, unable to face the crowd of impressive people in front of me. Surely once Katarina-sama understood the feelings of her fiancé, Prince Geordo, a poor commoner girl could never presume to replace him in her affections. Keith-san, her adoptive brother, at her side for so many years. Alan-sama, the fourth prince, and his own fiancée, Mary, who made me feel so very plain and small. Sophia Ascart, beautiful and elegant. Nicol-san, her brother, whose handsome looks made my heart skip a beat. I feared I would surely die if he smiled at me. Who was I, in the face of such rivals?

Despite that, if there was even a chance... no, I thought to myself, even if there was no chance for my feelings to be known, I owed it to these friends to give them a chance. Most of all, I owed it to Katarina-sama to help her find her happiness, the way she had helped me find mine. For Katarina-sama... for her, I could stand to be on the outside, if it meant I could look in and see her smile.

"Is it what she wants, though?" I asked, my voice small.

"Katarina doesn't know what she wants," Geordo-sama and Keith-san said in tandem, looking away from each other and frowning as they heard the echo.

Mary knelt and put her hand over mine, her dark eyes captivating in the low light of the room. I knew, again, that I could never hope to compete with this graceful beauty. I knew, again, that if she could give Katarina-sama what she truly desired, then I owed it to both of them. "We'll ask her, of course," Mary assured me. "You know how often she asks us about our true feelings. I'm sure she'll agree."

That much was true. I nodded my agreement. "Very well... as long as she agrees, I will do my best."

~~~

Katarina-sama and I normally woke at the same time each morning, since coming to this strange storybook world, but this marked the second time that she'd slipped out before me. Last night, she had been out on a "date" with Alan-sama, which I knew from the flickering memories that slipped in and out of my mind meant that he was courting her. In a particular way. Sophia and I had enjoyed selecting an outfit for her to wear, which normally only her maid would get to do, but... I felt my cheeks go a bit pink as I reflected on playing with dolls as a very young child. Some of the same appeal, perhaps, with the added benefit of being able to appreciate Katarina-sama's fierce beauty complimented by colors and fabrics that softened her look and brought out her inner charm. I had had to be conscious of my hands, conscious of how close I was getting, of how familiar I risked becoming. Not for the first time, I was thankful that Katarina-sama had claimed the top "bunk" of our beds; by now, if I could have looked down on her sleeping each night...

My cheeks went pink again as I contemplated what kind of indiscretion might have resulted. I risked becoming as forward as Mary was! Katarina-sama, for her part, was no help at all, especially last night...

I had only meant to clean a bit of icing off her face. I hadn't meant to let my thumb linger, to feel how soft her lips were, to imagine indiscretions of a terribly wonderful sort. That part, at least, was both unintentional where I was concerned and admittedly my fault.

But when she... she took my thumb in her mouth, and...

I splashed cold water from the sink on my face, conscious of how red I was turning. No, Maria, I told myself, it wasn't like that at all. It was only icing. You know how Katarina-sama is about sweets, she lacks any kind of resistance.

"You know how Katarina is about love," Keith-san's voice crept into my thoughts, a warning he'd shared about Geordo-sama once. "She lacks any kind of resistance."

I washed and changed into my school uniform, once again cringing at how terribly, scandalously short the skirt was. Did this come from a dream of Katarina-sama's? What would it mean, if it did? Best not to think of such questions, my mind argued with itself. I would only work myself into a state. I went to the closet, retrieving one of the new pairs of "tights" she had so thoughtfully purchased for me. They provided more coverage than the stockings had, and were more comfortable, but... I ran my hand down my leg, pulling at the hem of my skirt in dismay. Nothing short of a proper dress would feel appropriate, really, though at least the boys of the school had the good graces not to stare or make raucous comments. The fabric did feel nice, and it was certainly an improvement, but I think what made me happiest as I looked at them in the mirror was the realization that Katarina-sama had chosen them for me. She had thought of me when she selected these, bought them so I might wear them. I hugged myself and let a smile sneak onto my face.

I would have to show her.

Of course, the trick would be finding her - Katarina-sama seemed more familiar with this school than I was, and it showed. She was able to vanish much too quickly, though I had a reasonable idea of where she might be. With the student council not meeting today, she could be at the music room with Keith-san, or the fencing club with Mary and Alan-sama... but no, neither of those yielded results. What about Geordo-sama? His persona, the character he had taken over, belonged to a different club that fought with wooden swords. I headed over to their gymnasium to see a crowd of girls gathered, and from a place in the back I could make out Geordo-sama and Nicol-san facing off, long wooden swords raised as they stood in formal robes, a hush falling over the crowd as they prepared to strike.

The "battle" was swift and, although I couldn't follow the rules, the crowd's reaction told me that Nicol-san had won this round, his wooden sword striking Geordo-sama's chest. Their speed was incredible - of course, I had already faced Geordo-sama's skills, somehow winning twice despite his superior talent with the sword. Nicol-san I had not yet been challenged by, though it could only be a matter of time.

If she wasn't here... I giggled to myself as I walked to the school courtyard, wondering how I could have thought of anything else before it. There was one thing Katarina-sama loved more than anything else, more than even her favorite sweets.

She would be in the garden. 

Sure enough, there she was; I could see her in the golden birdcage-shaped greenhouse, happily working her way through the flowers. Not wanting to interrupt her, I simply stood outside, enjoying the warm morning sun and the simple joy on Katarina-sama's face as she worked.

"Good morning, Maria."

I turned. "Oh! Good morning, Geordo-sama," I greeted the third prince as he approached. He stood next to me, following my gaze to his fiancée in her element, dressed every bit as opulently as his station would dictate. I sneaked a look up at his face - the Stuart family were all quite striking to look at, but the beauty of Geordo Stuart wasn't in his smile or his jawline or his hair. It only emerged fully when he was looking at her. I could appreciate that feeling; I also felt quite plain unless it was Katarina-sama looking at me. In the light of her smile, I could outshine Mary Hunt if she wanted me to.

The two of us stood there in silence for several minutes, watching our most beloved person enjoying herself. It was Geordo-sama who spoke first.

"Is it difficult? Living with her?"

I looked at him, more than a bit confused. What was he expecting? "Not at all," I told him sincerely. "Katarina-sama has been nothing but thoughtful and gracious. I think..." I paused, wondering how I could explain, "I think she cares more about my feelings in our space than about her own." His eyes turned to me, and I shifted slightly. I had never been this close to the third prince before, and he was still a strikingly handsome man. "It has been... more than I've ever dared hope. I don't know if I've ever shared this with you," I knew quite well, actually, that I'd never shared this with anyone, "but I grew up with very few friends." That was one way to say none, but I didn't want him to pity me. "This has actually been the first time I've slept in the same room as anyone other than family."

"Slept." The way he repeated that word was so carefully devoid of tone that my mind raced to fill in what his voice had omitted, and my cheeks instantly turned pink. "Well... don't be so sure of yourself just yet." His smile hardened as he looked back at Katarina. "I swear I'll beat you in our next duel."

"You'll have to beat Nicol-san too then," I teased gently, but Geordo-sama seemed to stiffen as I said it. "Oh... I'm sorry, I didn't mean -"

"You were there earlier, then," he muttered. "It's fine, Maria. It's..." he sighed, smoothing his hair, which was still a bit unruly from his exertion in the duel. "To tell you the truth, all this time I worried my greatest rival was Keith." He smirked. "Or maybe Mary. Nicol, my best friend, I always trusted not to... well. This," he gestured vaguely around us, "gives him a chance too, doesn't it? I should be worried about him. And about you." He favored me with a smile that at least seemed genuine. "I hope you understand, I will do what it takes."

His eyes, as he looked into the greenhouse, filled with a mix of longing and sorrow. "You've loved her for a long time," my voice was small. Was I feeling guilt?

He looked surprised. "Well... yes. Years, really. Years and years..." he went quiet.

"How did you know?" He shot me a look. "...that you loved her, I mean? If it's not too forward of me? You proposed shortly after you first met, from what she told me?"

The smile was small but genuine. "Ah, Maria Campbell, you have a few surprises in you too, it seems. Yes, I proposed due to that silly scar." Scar? What scar? Geordo watched my face with amusement. "Ah, should I tease you, hint that it was somewhere improper? Somewhere one would have to go looking, perhaps?" My face was getting pink again as I imagined just that. "No, no; she hit her head as a child, and I proposed out of a sense of guilt. At the time, I thought, who would ever want this girl, noble or not, with such a disfigurement on her face? It's hard to imagine, now, not wanting Katarina."

"She doesn't have a scar on her face, though..."

"No," his voice was sly, "no she does not. It healed, you see, although I try not to let her think that. She still believes, for some reason, that once it's healed I will no longer wish to marry her."

That earned a sigh from me. "Katarina-sama, what are we going to do with you..." I muttered. She was the most precious and kind person, but her ability to miss the obvious was without limit.

"Of course, when I proposed, I was thinking only of the expediency. Even the second time..." he tilted his head back, looking into the clouds. "I was curious, yes. Curious, and intrigued, and perhaps a bit jealous, when Keith started taking her attentions, and then Mary and Alan, Sophia and Nicol... but if I had to pick a moment, a moment when I knew, it was when we were ten years old. It was raining that day." His eyes grew distant. "We were attending a funeral at Morel Castle, a very prominent estate. The eldest Morel daughter had died suddenly, a tragic accident. Marquis Morel was very important, and my family had already refused a betrothal between me and his daughter Estrella; it was important that we made an appearance there, to keep the peace."

He talked about this girl's death so matter-of-factly; my heart ached that he'd had to treat death as something so transactional at such an early age.

"Of course, the Claes family were in attendance as well. Lady Claes was quite worried about how her daughter would behave, but..." the far-off look had a sparkle of fascination. "She went up to the coffin alone, and Marquis and Lady Morel were there, and spoke to her. I heard them later, talking to Duke Claes." His eyes turned to me, fascination and wonder dancing in them. "Maria, they were thanking him for having raised such a mature and thoughtful daughter. Whatever she said to them, there by the coffin, these two people who had lost their firstborn child..."

What could it have been? Katarina-sama is a very kind person, but she would be the first to admit that taking time with words wasn't like her, and to be only ten years old...

"You fell in love with her because she healed some of their grief?"

He shook his head. "I'm still astonished that she did that, and I can't imagine what she said to do it, but... after they left her, I went up to the coffin, to stand by her. I was curious - I admit, like Lady Claes, I had half expected her to embarrass herself. She was standing there quietly, and she asked me... she asked me if I believed what is taught about the hereafter, that those who do good things shall earn a good fate, and those who do evil shall suffer. I said it was a common enough belief," I nodded in agreement, having been taught this from childhood, "and she looked at me with tears in her eyes. Katarina-sama never cries, you know; it's such a rarity that I was taken aback. She asked me... how was it, exactly..." he tapped his finger to his lips. "We stood there under the umbrella together, and she asked me, 'what did I do wrong?' Then she hugged me close, and whispered that I wouldn't understand, and that she was selfish and had no right to complain. I couldn't understand it, but in that moment... well, as I said, I thought for sure she'd do something beneath her station, but I had seen the faces of those parents. She hadn't done a thing wrong, she had given them something that I truly don't believe anyone else could have in that moment, and her first thought wasn't about how well she had done, or how pleased her own parents would be, or alliances or propriety or the stability of the kingdom. None of that mattered to her. She hugged me close and worried that she hadn't done enough to help these people she'd only just met."

My heart was full with love for Katarina-sama. Every word Geordo-sama spoke reminded me of why I had fallen in love with her to begin with. He looked at me, eyes wet from restrained tears.

"That is what she means to me, Maria. There is nobody like her in all the world. She makes life beautiful for other people, without any agenda or plot or scheme. I truly believe that if there was nothing to stop her, she would spend all of her time working to better the lives of others without even realizing it." He chuckled. "Except me, of course, I get the toy snake."

"She would make a wonderful queen," I admitted, and he snorted in derision.

"I'm not the least bit worried about that. I have two older brothers, after all. I'd give up my claim to the throne in a second if it meant she would be mine." His smile was insincere again. "You'll forgive me a bit of jealousy, I hope, when I tell you that I don't intend to share her at all."

Katarina-sama had looked up from her roses and was waving at us. I felt warm inside again.

"Then may the best person win," I said firmly.

That evening, when I returned to the dormitory, would be the evening that Katarina-sama was spirited away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I continue to enjoy all the reactions, they are fantastic. Sorry for the shorter chapter this time, but the plot needs a viewpoint split. Also sorry I didn't retread Maria's whole experience to date but it would be... really much too long. I promise we'll come back to her, though!
> 
> And yes I am just purely forcing the Roxette song references now.


	20. Queen of Rain II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Geordo receives a life-changing letter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spoilers for light novel Volume 3 in this chapter.

It shouldn't have surprised me that, despite waiting patiently for Katarina to finish her gardening, when she did emerge from her gilded greenhouse it was Maria Campbell that she elected to go with. I had smiled - what else could I do? - and agreed to see her another time, but to be truthful, I was finding all of this frustrating and tiresome. Mary Hunt's master plan, it seemed, had included measures to deal with me as an obstacle.

With such ease, too.

Slamming my fist against the wall, I cursed under my breath and looked around quickly to make sure nobody had seen me. Agreeing to this had been a colossal error. I was engaged to Katarina - I had claimed her first kiss, even! She had to know my feelings by now, but... I sighed, composing myself as I walked back to the dormitories. If anyone could mistake nearly a decade's worth of heartfelt confessions of admiration and love, topped with a kiss, it would be my endlessly innocent fiancée. Which, of course, is why I'd agreed to this mad scheme at all.

Slumping down on my bed, I allowed myself to show my fatigue and stress, secure that I was alone and not revealing my vulnerability to anyone. Another of Katarina's unique qualities... she alone could see through my mask, knowing when I was tired, or stressed, or concerned. She really was uncannily perceptive - at least about anything other than how much we all loved her, myself most of all. I found myself thinking back to the funeral, that rainy day so long ago, our embrace in the heart of that tragic event. The first time I ever realized. To be sure, she had intrigued me since that first proposal, and of course the second. A breath of fresh air, genuine, accepting of my flaws... I chuckled ruefully. A girl worth braving toy snakes for.

What was I to do now, though? Maria Campbell, of all people, had bested me twice, with shocking ease. Whatever excuse I might have made for my own performance, the outcome filled me with quiet rage. This world's rules said I was no longer engaged - Engaged, rather, there remained something of significance to that principle in this story - to my fiancée, and now Maria was enjoying time with Katarina that should have been mine. At least Keith had been defeated in kind; I could only imagine how crushing it would be to have my most seasoned rival enjoying the kind of intimate space with Katarina that she and Maria presently shared. Mind you... Keith had shared a home with her for years, and his greatest weakness when placed against me was his unwillingness to initiate any physical affection with her.

Mary Hunt... more of a threat by that measure. She already spent as much time as possible latched on to Katarina in our world, and here even more so, if that could be believed. At least Maria's commoner upbringing would have stressed propriety; Mary had taught herself all too well how to cross those lines. Given her determination, her defeat seemed no less than a miracle. As for my brother... I could scarcely believe that he had mustered the clarity of thought to ask Katarina on a date to town. Alan has always been blunt and bold, but never in matters of the heart. I was a bit harsh with him the other day, but then, my heart had been clutched by a green demon when I saw them together like that.

At least Nicol hadn't made his move - to date, I'd counted on our friendship and his own belief in the sanctity of my engagement to dissuade him from making a bid for Katarina's hand, despite some close moments shared between the two. That damnable seductive allure of his. Alan and I were thankfully immune, but I swear the man could separate lodestones with a smile. In this setting, however... my mind flashed back to our duel this morning. When had he gotten so good at swordplay? If he did advance his own suit, could I defeat him? The rules of this story seemed to demand it. Rumors said his father had stolen his mother out of a prior betrothal; would the apple fall far from the tree? Did my most dangerous rival await only the permission of a letter from the unknown person, End of the World, to challenge Maria Campbell and reveal his own love to Katarina?

I'd never been challenged like this before. It would have been thrilling, if the stakes were not so great.

My eyes were drawn to the desk in my room - a letter, sealed with red wax. What was this? The seal, just like the rings we wore - the mark of End of the World. Nobody had mentioned anything about a letter arriving today, though. Curious, I broke the seal.

"Your patience with this game has been rewarded. Tonight, in the dueling arena, the castle will come down for you and your beloved."

The castle will come down? The flickering memories trickled into my mind - the very first letter we had received from this End of the World had told us that the castle, the mysterious palace suspended upside-down in the skies above the dueling arena, held the ultimate prize, the so-called "power to revolutionize the world." This was what the Rose Bride represented with respect to the story - the right to enter the castle and claim the prize. For the purposes of our spell, therefore...

To revolutionize the world would be to open Katarina's eyes to our true feelings, would it not?

My smile was genuine as I returned the letter to its envelope. It was already late afternoon. I would go to collect Katarina at her dormitory, and then together... at long last... a fitting way to discover our love together, right out of a fairy tale. Sophia Ascart could not have written it better - and as I dashed out of my dorm, freshly washed and in a crisp new uniform, I nearly collided with that very same person.

"My apologies, Sophia," I steadied her gently. "I have to be off."

"That's fine," she gave me a sweet smile. "I was just checking to see if Nicol was here. He's not at home."

"I haven't seen him since this morning. I really must be going, however - perhaps you should check the kendo club?"

My eagerness was trampling my politeness, but I stifled my concerns as I departed. That first letter had laid out the rules for us - the Rose Bride was only to accompany her Engaged into the dueling arena, and it was forbidden for anyone else to bring her there without the approval of End of the World. She wasn't to go there at all outside of a duel - these rules were absolute. If End of the World set down the rules, of course, then End of the World could also change them - and this evening, Geordo Stuart would be the one to profit. I believed, as did the others, that End of the World represented Katarina's own subconscious, laying down the rules by which it could discover our affections. If this were true... then something had changed within her since last night. Perhaps spending time with Alan had opened her eyes to how I had felt all this time. I couldn't really fathom how that would come together, but the letter was clearly for me and me alone.

Tonight I would at long last find the Katarina who recognized my feelings.

"Good evening, Geordo," she smiled brightly as she opened the door. "I wasn't expecting to see you tonight!"

"Well, we didn't have a chance to see each other earlier," I said truthfully - Maria Campbell had taken her away from me. For the last time, I mentally added. "I thought I might invite you to take a walk with me to the dueling forest."

Her eyes widened, and for some reason seemed a bit panicky. I'd seen this look before - it usually accompanied confusing statements about "catastrophic bad ends" and "doom flags."

"I-I'm the Rose Bride, right?" she protested, her smile now forced and false, like she was trying to get out of attending an event with the nobility. "That means I'm not allowed to duel. Are you sure you're not looking for Maria?"

"I'm not here for a duel, Katarina," I leaned in close, and was rewarded with a blush that crossed the bridge of her nose. "I'm here to ask you to join me for an evening stroll. Unless there's some reason we shouldn't?" my eyebrow raised. If Alan had succeeded last night... but the confusion in her eyes suggested nothing of the kind.

"Sounds nice! I wouldn't mind some fresh air - the greenhouse is beautiful, but it's a bit stuffy." She hesitated, looking at my belt. "You're sure I don't need to bring a sword? You have one..."

I chuckled. "I'm quite certain. You're not a duelist, as you said. You are the Rose Bride," it really was a lovely title. I offered her my hand, but she flashed me a sweet smile and walked past it, leaving me standing there feeling foolish. She turned back to me, eyebrow raised in confusion.

"Well? Are you coming?" she teased, and I hurried to join her. We walked together into the heart of the dueling forest, where the mighty Rose Gate stood to block interlopers. A strange structure - staircase flanked by channels for water, the gate itself shaped like an enormous bird when closed, operating by some kind of water lock. Katarina had been strolling cheerfully to this point, and had even accepted my arm, which filled me with a warm glow, but now she hesitated.

"I feel like there was something about this," she mumbled. "Do people come here at night?"

"We do," I assured her. Well, not previously, but now we had permission. The permission of her own subconscious desires, if all was as we believed. I reached out to grasp the handle of the Rose Gate and her hand caught my wrist. She looked slightly concerned.

"No, Geordo, I think... somehow, I feel like we're not supposed to be doing this."

"Why not?"

"I'm not really sure. It's something I saw on... a book."

An odd statement. "Saw ON a book? On the cover, you mean?"

"Y- uh..." she was doing it again. "In a book, I meant." 

"I'm sure it's fine," I told her, filled with confidence from the letter, as I put my hand on the handle of the gate. Our eternal happiness lay ahead.

Light flooded my vision, seeming to burn from two eyes made of flame. Something large and red roared in front of me, though when I blinked it wasn't there. I heard Katarina scream behind me and turned - for a moment, it seemed I was hallucinating, as Katarina appeared to be run through with countless swords. As I reached out to her, she vanished abruptly, and something struck me from behind with such force that I staggered, tripping down the stairs even as I heard the waters rushing through the Rose Gate, flooding through the mechanism, running down the canals... I was facedown on the ground as the water hit, my lungs burning.

The world went dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was the episode where things started to take a dark turn in Utena, the first really trippy one. Fair warning, it won't be the last.


	21. Queen of Rain III

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maria discovers something very precious to her is missing.

I had resolved to try something new to bolster Katarina-sama's mood in the wake of her uncomfortable experience with Alan-sama. Promising to see her after dinner, I headed back to the main school building instead of going back to the dormitory with her. The last time I had been in the cooking class, I had seen a text that mentioned a simple alchemical method for trapping sweet juices in little beads. The storybook world would not allow us to use our magical abilities outside of the student council's tower - we had tested this at length, all of us except Keith-san - but alchemy... my studies on the art were sparse, to my own shame, but I did know that it relied on the inherent magic of the reagent, rather than sourcing mana from the practitioner. I hoped to take the juice of a sweet fruit - maybe cherry, Katarina-sama always seemed to love that flavor - and create little jellied beads that I could surround with a pastry cup, perhaps a topping of fresh cream.

If I didn't know better, I would think my eyes were glowing with how bright I felt inside at the idea of Katarina-sama's future delight.

Of all the wonderful qualities of Katarina Claes, it was surely among the least where others were concerned, but... for me, baking sweet things was a connection to happy memories of childhood, a form of therapy to calm my nerves, and a way to make something outside myself that showed my own efforts. Something more real and tangible than this magic I'd been "blessed" with. A way of proving to myself that I could produce something through my own efforts, not any kind of miraculous or rare power. Although my baking couldn't possibly hold a candle to the fine artisanal pastry work of the nobles' preferred chefs, Katarina-sama's boundless joy and appetite for what I made... it truly made me believe that my handiwork mattered to someone, had meaning to someone. I was always fond of sweets myself, but to be truthful, I never trusted my own senses when it came to the quality of my work. Katarina-sama took my doubts away with every smile.

There... I would need two alchemical reagents, described in the book as "sodium alginate" and "calcium chloride." A box containing the former was in the advanced materials cabinet of the cooking class, but try as I might, the latter was nowhere to be found. Oh well... looking over at the assembled materials, I realized I could still whip up a small batch of cupcakes to bring home - I had found a lemon, too. My new idea would have to wait until I could consult with the cooking teacher on the second reagent. In the meantime, I was able to create a zesty but mild lemon vanilla cupcake batter and a thin glaze flavored with cherry to pour over them. By the time I was finished, it had already gotten dark outside. I borrowed a basket and cloth to put the cupcakes into, left a note promising to return them the following day and thanking the instructors for the use of their facilities, and hurried back to the dormitory.

That was odd... the door wasn't locked. I walked in, setting down my treats on the table and looking about the room - Katarina-sama had been here recently, judging by her school materials in her bag on the chair, but she was nowhere to be seen now. I called out to her, thinking she might be in the washroom, but on knocking gently there was no reply. How very curious. Perhaps she was out with one of our friends? It would be like her to go off spontaneously; she had such endless energy to give of herself to people, a fact I had selfishly enjoyed on many occasions.

As I pondered, I heard a strange ringing noise. The flickering memories returned to the forefront of my mind, showing me an odd curved device resting on a podium in the corridor and telling me this was a means of communication between distant parties. How intriguing! I ran out to the hall and found the device, vibrating on its perch as the loud ringing sound repeated. I lifted it, holding it to my face as the memories had shown me.

"H-hello, this is Maria Campbell, in the East Dormitory..."

The voice that came back was familiar, somehow, yet I couldn't place it - a male voice, that was all I knew.

"Katarina Claes has been spirited away."

I felt something inside me go cold. My shoulders tensed.

"What do you mean?"

"Check the dueling arena."

"The dueling arena? Why? What has happened to her?"

A click sounded, then a steady musical tone. "Please - what has happened to Katarina-sama?" I asked the device to no avail. The dueling arena... we were told by the mysterious letters that Katarina-sama was never to go there unless a duel was scheduled.

Which made it far too likely that she had ended up exactly there.

The night was growing misty as I reached the outer edge of the forest that concealed the dueling arena, running up the staircase so fast that I tripped over something on the ground. What could it - my heart froze in my chest as I saw him.

The third prince, Geordo-sama, lay collapsed motionless on the ground, his face immersed in water. I seized him under his arms, heedless of any impropriety, and dragged him out with a strength I didn't realize I possessed. He started coughing immediately, water spurting from his throat, bubbling around his lips, and his eyes remained closed. Making a silent plea for his forgiveness, I tapped him on the side of the face - I could hear a thin, ragged breathing, but he failed to wake. Desperately, I reached for my mana, trying to channel the light into him. The storybook world refused to yield to the emergency. Could I drag him to the tower in time to heal him? If this had happened to Geordo-sama, would the others be in similar danger as well?

Would Katarina-sama?

Hoping against hope, I decided to try an extreme measure, giving him a slap as I'd seen a barkeep do once when trying to rouse an inebriated patron from the street. It was hardly the same scenario, but... somehow, against all odds, Geordo-sama's eyes opened. I wanted to smile in joy, but in that moment, my fear for our other friends was greater by far. My fear for Katarina-sama.

"...Maria? What's... what happened?"

"I came looking for Katarina-sama. What happened? Were any of the others injured?"

He looked at me, uncomprehending. "The others? I haven't seen..." his eyes widened and my heart sank. Geordo-sama had only ever shown this kind of fear once before, when Katarina-sama was in danger. "Where is she? She's not with you? I saw..." he looked past me. "Oh no..."

I followed his gaze to the Rose Gate. Normally, it should be closed, resembling a large and ornate bird assembled from carefully-shaped pieces of metal. Now it stood open, the wings of the bird folded up around the head to create an abstract rose shape, the barriers removed, the water that operated the strange mechanism flowing freely. The stairs beyond were dark.

We nodded silently to one another as we ran. The towering spire around which the stairs wrapped themselves pierced through the canopy into what I could only imagine was an illusory sky, for the arena itself was visible from nowhere else on campus, and the staircase was much too tall. One hundred steps, two hundred, three... I barely noticed, my fear for Katarina-sama's safety driving me onward. We reached the top, the strange castle in the sky above looming over us as always, but...

In the center of the dueling arena stood an enormous and ornate rose, framing a coffin.

The blood was pounding in my ears like a thunderclap. The words of Geordo's story came back to me. "What did I do wrong?" she had asked. I felt numb as a memory blazed to life in my mind, one I feared, one I hadn't had to face since...

...since she came into my life.

My father had left, and this time he hadn't come back. The rumors were everywhere. My mother's pain filled my every waking moment, my father's disappearance troubled every sleep, and nowhere was there any smile, any welcome, any hand of friendship. I was so young, too young to understand what the rumors meant, at least in detail.

All I understood was that it was my fault.

I had run away, one day, uncertain of why, other than the vain hope that I could somehow find my father and make things right again, or find an adult who could fix things. It had become clear that my mother had no answers, and I felt the burden of guilt for that as well. Convinced I had done something so horrible that I had caused my father to leave, destroyed my mother's joyous spirit, turned the once pleasant village into a place of suspicion and shadows, I ran. I found a church, the door ajar, the building empty. It had started to rain outside, the thunderclap a declaration from the heavens that young Maria Campbell was the cause of all this misfortune. There was a coffin, empty, lying before the altar. I hadn't wondered why, at that time. I knew what a coffin meant.

It was the only place for a wretched, family-destroying child like me.

As Geordo-sama and I watched in horror, the lid of the rose-framed coffin began to swing open of its own accord. My blood was like ice, my whole body unable to move, unwilling to do anything that might confirm my most terrible fear.

Inside the coffin, as still and silent as the grave, lay Katarina Claes in the fetal position on a bed of white roses, dressed in my red dueling gown. Her face bore the innocence of sleep, but with the mark of one suffering a terrible nightmare. "Please be alive," I whispered, my voice cracking.

"No..." Geordo-sama's despair was a new thing to hear, raw and agonized. He rushed toward the coffin, shouting Katarina-sama's name. Around us, the dueling arena began to tremble.

"Geordo-sama, wait!" I cried, but the shaking ground had begun to heave upwards, a column of stone erupting beneath the coffin and its surrounding rose, lifting it high above us. More pillars broke through the ground, an uneven and scattered set of stepping-stones. My body sprang into action of its own accord - if I could guess where... aha! The tiles shook more furiously in that one spot. I leapt forward, barely catching it as a column erupted in just the right spot.

"Maria!" Geordo-sama called up to me, the panic in his voice evident. We had never been warned that anything like this could happen - it seemed like something out of a nightmare.

"What did I do wrong?" the voice of a little girl flashed through my mind, a little girl and a coffin, a pain that could not be properly expressed. I didn't know if it was Katarina-sama's, or my own.

That day, I had hidden myself away in that coffin, willing the darkness and the cold to take me away, wishing I could trade myself for the happiness I had stolen from everyone around me. Hours passed, carrying into morning, until the priest arrived and found me by accident as he came to inspect the coffin. "Run along home," he'd told me brusquely, and as I walked the dirt path toward the house I grew up in, the place where my family had once been so happy, I realized that he'd only found me while looking for something else.

Nobody had come to find me.

The next pillar seemed impossibly far away. There was no chance I could reach it, but... summoning all of my strength, every ounce of my bravery, every moment of tree-climbing from my childhood, I threw myself into the air, willing myself to cross the impossible gap. Somehow, I caught it, pulling myself upward. Above us, the castle itself seemed to shake, as though it might come crashing down any second. As terrifying as that prospect was, I knew that to leave now would mean abandoning Katarina-sama.

"It's supposed to come down for us..." Geordo-sama's voice was hoarse from the ground below. I looked down to see him looking straight at the castle with a mixture of confusion, anticipation, and dread. Whatever he knew, it was meaningless in the moment. I had to save Katarina-sama. The illusory skies began to darken around us as the shaking intensified. Even the pillars began to blacken, and I felt my precarious perch beginning to crumble beneath me. There was no choice now - I leapt again, landing on the next pillar, and then the next. Around me, the towers of the castle began to fall, stones raining down across the arena. Just one more jump...

...I wouldn't make it... it was too far... I was falling through the air... "Katarina-sama!" I cried out, hoping against hope that despite my failure, I might still wake her. _Please be alive..._

I stretched out my hand, as though I could extend my feelings toward her like light magic, somehow reach out with them and wake her...

...and my fingers caught hers.

The coffin, the rose, the pillars, the crumbling towers, all of it exploded into a rain of rose petals, and I blinked to find myself safely on the ground, the dueling arena's floor smooth and undisturbed, Katarina-sama in my lap, still unconscious. I felt the tears in my eyes as I shook her, calling her name, demanding in my heart that she be returned to me.

"...Maria?"

Brilliant blue eyes met mine, and my tears streamed freely down my face. I didn't care. She was safe. She was alive!

"What happened?" her voice was weak. I didn't know what to tell her... I couldn't even begin to explain the strange imagery of the night, the now-vanished columns of stone, the coffin, the rose... all I could think of as an explanation was...

"I came to find you."

She smiled at me, the smile of an angel, and in that moment I knew it was time. I needed to express, openly and without reservation, my true feelings for her. As I leaned toward her, however, her eyes widened in fear.

"Geordo-sama!" her voice was hollow. I looked up to see the third prince standing over us, sword drawn.

"...Not again... why was even this chance given to you?" I felt a moment of fear - I was certain he would never threaten my life, but his voice had an edge to it that reminded me of someone else who was once pushed to a place he might never return from. In that moment of doubt, something leapt between us, and the sword dropped to the ground. The something turned, looking down at Katarina-sama and I, and I was struck by the kindness and beauty in that face.

"It will be alright now," Nicol-san said, and something in his voice made me trust implicitly that it would be so. 

"Why..." Geordo's voice was flat and despairing. "Why are you..."

"To protect those most dear to me," Nicol-san said softly, "I would do anything."

Nicol-san knelt before us, his face as impassive as ever, but in his eyes... once again, I had that incongruous thought, that if he ever smiled at me the way Sophia and Katarina-sama said he did, I might just die. I couldn't understand it. He lifted Katarina-sama and carried her down the stairs. I moved to follow, but looked back at Geordo-sama, hoping he would join us. He hadn't moved from where Nicol had stopped him.

"...Geordo-sama?"

"...am I destined to lose her?" he whispered, raising his eyes to mine, and I could see a new kind of fear there. "I can't be... I can't become that person, Maria. I can't face the thought of being Geordo Stuart without Katarina Claes."

I felt a tear run down my cheek. An image flashed through my mind, not a memory, but rather a kind of daydream. A small and frightened girl in a coffin, wondering what she had done wrong, and then it opened. Someone had come to look for her. Someone with brown hair and blue eyes and a wide smile.

I left him alone in the arena, joining Nicol-san in the descent, until we reached the ground and I ran ahead to fetch an umbrella, since it had started to rain. Reflecting on the pain, the fear, the despair I had felt, I realized I had that in common with the third prince.

I could not face the thought of being Maria Campbell without Katarina Claes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mostly true to the events from the Utena anime, though I had to soften the final interaction. It would be very out of character for Geordo to actually strike anyone, let alone wounding Nicol. This is a particularly dark and imagery-filled episode of the overall story, which makes it a challenge to convey in text; I hope it has come across.


	22. I Woke Up From A Bad Dream...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katarina wakes up after a rough night.

My dreams were dark.

Dark, but noisy. Sometimes, a surge of noise, and a flash of bright lights.

Sometimes the dark seemed to go on forever.

There was pain in the dreams, stabbing pains, the sound of words drilling into my mind with every sharp sting.

"Hateful." "Ugly." "Boring." "Foolish." "Awful." "Strange." "Talentless." "Wicked."

"Villainess."

I could feel myself twitching in pain with each strike of the invisible stabbing thing, but I couldn't move. Somehow I knew I was encased in something, held by something, something I couldn't escape. Was this my ultimate fate? Had my doom flag at last caught up with me? The last thing I remembered, I had been with Geordo -

"Dragged down -" "Too good for the likes of -" "How can she presume to -" "How dare she sully -" "Unworthy." "Unfit." "Embarrassing." "Manipulative."

"Villainess," I heard in my own voice, as the pain continued.

\- with Geordo outside of the Rose Gate, consumed with the worry that we shouldn't be there for some reason. Wasn't there an episode like this in Utena? What had happened, that time...? I was trying to think, but my thoughts were answered by a loud rumbling, the darkness around me shaking in a way I couldn't see but could feel. Maybe it would be better if I gave up. The villainess didn't deserve to escape from this darkness, even if...

...even if I would never see my friends again.

"Pitiful." "No friends." "Using them all." "Dishonoring her family -" "Shaming her betters -"

"Vill-" I whispered, only to be cut off by a flood of light, my eyes snapping open to see the angelic blonde locks of Maria Campbell, eyes wet with tears, face close to mine. She broke out into a tremulous smile.

"Katarina-sama," her voice sounded hoarse.

"...Maria? What happened?" I tried to stand, but nothing in my body felt like moving, and anyway it felt nice here in Maria's lap. Maybe I would just stay put, for a minute or so.

"I came to find you," she said softly. The light that broke through the darkness - is that what it was? I felt myself smiling, and Maria leaned toward me - 

\- and that's when my heart froze in my chest, as I saw him behind her. Geordo, still dressed as Saionji, no trace of his signature smile.

Holding a sword.

This was it, wasn't it? I'd done something wrong, somehow, even if I didn't know what. Maybe I broke the rules of the dueling game by coming here without Maria. Maybe I needed to be punished for our broken engagement. Maybe I had escaped from the prison of a villainess, and he was ready to enact justice on me. Maybe...

Maybe it was just my time.

Something leapt in front of Geordo, something tall, dressed all in white, and I fell unconscious again. The darkness returned, but this time, there wasn't any pain or noise. Somehow, I knew I was being held by something, something I didn't want to escape. Something warm, soft, with a pleasant smell... in the darkness, I felt myself nestling into the warmth, not wanting to miss out on any of it.

Whatever this was, it felt like lo-

My eyes opened as the first rays of sunlight crept through the curtains of the room. Huh... this wasn't my bed - too close to the floor. There was a weight on my shoulder, and pressure on my belly. My left hand was there, my right was free and loose by my side, and someone else's hand was wrapped around my left.

My eyes flicked to my shoulder. A mass of blonde curls greeted me, the sound of soft breathing. I could feel the fingertips of a hand curled up under her head, supporting her as she slept next to me. She was still fully dressed, though I could tell from the sleeves that I was in my pyjamas. What was going on?

Maria was asleep, I had invaded her bed, and she hadn't even had the chance to change into her pyjamas. I tried to think of what happened last night, but it was all a dark blur after Geordo and I walked to the dueling forest. I remembered that there was darkness, and something about pain... Maria's hand twitched in her sleep, squeezing mine. What was I remembering? Nothing. Nothing meaningful, anyway - just strange shadows of last night, a vague feeling that I had done something wrong. I felt I should get up, start my day, and try to figure out what had happened, only...

Well, maybe just a couple more minutes here in bed. It was warm, and soft, and there was a pleasant smell. 

Whatever this was, it felt like Maria...

...had definitely picked the right bunk. A totally different sleep experience from the upper bunk, cozy and calming and restful. I resolved never to tell her how much nicer I found it down here in her bed - Maria is such a nice girl, she would definitely do something silly like offer to switch with me, and I didn't want her to feel bad for having something nice. I tilted my head to look at her sleeping face. She deserved so many wonderful things.

Not wanting to disturb her, I stayed still for what seemed like an hour, the room growing gradually brighter. At some point I must have drifted off to sleep again, because when I opened my eyes again, Maria was already gone. I sighed, stretching as I forced myself out of her bed. If it were mine I would have left it like that, but considering I'd been an inconsiderate guest in her bed already, it only felt right to make it up properly. By the time I got washed and dressed, it was already noon, and I joined a gaggle of students at the main building to see something posted on the wall - 

"Geordo Stuart has been placed on academic suspension for activities in violation of school rules."

My heart sank in my chest - what could Geordo have possibly done to break the rules? He was always so perfect in everything he did, how could... I saw him only last night, though; when would he have had time to even do anything against the rules? No... this didn't make any sense. I had to find someone and ask them what had happened - Nicol, maybe! He was the student council president, and Geordo's best friend, surely he must know...

SLAP.

I was so shocked that I fell backwards against the wall, as the black-haired girl glowered down at me, flanked by her two b-word colleagues. Weren't these the same girls that had been bullying Maria? I was ready to leap to my feet and give her as good as I'd gotten when she said it.

"It's your fault Geordo-sama was suspended!" I didn't want to believe that, but it fit my worries in the moment...

The brown-haired one behind her chimed in. "It's your fault Alan-sama won't talk to anyone!" Well... that might also be true, but it was really his fault for being so rude, wasn't it?

The other dark-haired girl added the finale: "It's your fault Nicol-sama's arm was injured!" Alright, that one I didn't know anything about, and I'd had just about enough of getting blamed for things I didn't do. For pity's sakes, girls, I'm the villainess. Surely you don't need to make up things to pin on me?

"Look, I don't even know about Nicol-san's..." but I found no sounds coming out as Nicol himself stepped into the courtyard, his arm in a sling, Sophia at his side. She marched up to the trio of taller girls, red eyes filled with an angry look I would have been proud to pull off even with my icy villainess eyes.

"You three leave my friend alone, or you won't be invited to the party tonight!" she told them fiercely, hands balled at her sides. Calm down, Sophia! She looked like she was about ready to punch one of them! Their eyes widened in panic and they mumbled apologies before running away, as Nicol came to me and offered me his hand to stand. I could see Sophia smiling at how kind her brother was.

"You're not terribly hurt, are you?" he asked me gently, using a finger to brush the hair out of my eyes. That smile... my knees went weak and wobbly, and it seemed like I was surely at risk of hitting the ground again, only my eyes drifted down to his injured arm. Worry overtook whatever else I was feeling in that moment.

"I'm not, no," my voice was small, "but what about you? What happened?"

"Oh, this," he shrugged like it was just a bandaged finger, "I strained my arm carrying you down the stairs last night."

My face flooded with heat. Last night...? Carrying? I didn't remember anything about that. What had happened? Nicol stepped closer and leaned down slightly, his voice low. "It was really nothing, Claes-san, don't think anything of it. I was just glad to be of service to a lady in her hour of need." That sounded like a line right out of the Devilish Count series. Someone should really have a talk with Nicol about how dangerous he could be, saying things like that to young women... my eyes unfocused for a moment, and I only barely made out someone calling my name.

"Claes-san? What do you say?"

~~~

"Ladies, the Regrets Later lever is secure, the failsafe is on," Scholar Katarina argued to the others. "We must pay attention and deliberate on this matter. There is no way - "

Sparkling motes of confetti flooded the air as the screen flashed into an image of Nicol smiling. The sound of a very distinctive alarm blared throughout the council chamber. It sounded a bit like a saxophone playing a very smooth riff. Scholar Katarina looked around for the others, flustered by the sudden activity. Flashing lights circled the council chamber as a fanfare sounded.

"What?" The four of them asked, the picture of innocence, their hands still on the Automatic Yes button.

"The Devilish Count Protocol..." Scholar Katarina groaned as she remembered the override they had tricked her into installing that one summer.

~~~

"...Yes, of course." At some point Nicol faded from my vision and I was left with Sophia, who was talking excitedly about a party.

"Maria should come too," she told me. I nodded absently.

"Who else is going to your party?"

Sophia shook her head, laughing. "Every time, Katarina-sama... every time. You are, of course! It is Nicol's birthday, after all."

"M-me?" I didn't know why I would even be surprised at that, it was exactly the kind of situation I always got myself into. "Well, alright then." It was a party, after all, and that usually meant I could find something to occupy myself with.

And besides, a birthday party meant there would be cake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long to release; really hoping for more consistent updates as we move forward. As always, love seeing comments and feedback, keep them coming.


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